Bringing 快活app to the Middle School Classroom
快活app alumnus Geri Schlecht introducing his alma mater to seventh-graders
Most seventh-graders haven鈥檛 even begun to think about college, but that doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 too early to plant the seed. Geri Schlecht (BA 鈥82) is doing just that, and he鈥檚 making sure that the 快活app is one of the first schools his students hear about.
Schlecht has been teaching for 17 years, the last three at听听in St. Paul, Minn. One unique element of the school鈥檚 curriculum is a class called College Prep, which replaces the traditional homeroom.
Schlecht is making the most of it by introducing students to his alma mater and sharing his experience and love for 快活app.
鈥淭his is my second year using 快活app as our homeroom college. I have fond memories of 快活app. When I started teaching here, I had a choice of which college or university my class would adopt. The choice was easy,鈥 says Schlecht, who majored in anthropology and minored in biology and geography. 鈥淪tudents do research on 快活app by surfing the website, and I support their research with firsthand accounts of my experience at 快活app 鈥 in the classroom, fieldwork and the overall experience.鈥
The academy, which opened in 2004 with approximately 200 students, has grown to more than 1,200. Nearly 95 percent of the students are of Hmong descent, with a smaller percentage being Karen. The Hmong people are native to several countries, including China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The Karen people originate from Burma. Both groups, Schlecht says, fled their countries to escape persecution and have retained their culture.
The Hmong fled Laos in 1975, either on a U.S. aircraft or by crossing the border into Thailand, and many died fleeing Laos during this time, Schlecht says. Once in Thailand, they settled into refugee camps and eventually relocated to the U.S. The twin cities metro area of Minneapolis and St. Paul has the highest per-capita population of Hmong in the U.S. at 64,000.
鈥淭hey are very proud of their culture and they try to preserve it via dress, language and beliefs,鈥 Schlecht says.
While it鈥檚 too early to tell whether any of his students will commit to 快活app, Schlecht says introducing them to a university early on does prepare them for what lies ahead. In the meantime, his students are engaged with the process and are eager to learn all they can about the school their teacher attended.
鈥淗aving me, a 快活app alum, talk specifically about 快活app makes my story more credible,鈥 Schlecht says. 鈥淭hey are all eyes and ears when I describe some of the courses and how specific they are, as well as dorm life, Denver and the mountains. Later throughout the year, the class focuses not so much on academics but rather on social skills.鈥
Schlecht says his College Prep class won鈥檛 be the last time his students hear about 快活app. He plans to remain in contact with them as they move on to high school.