In the early days of each semester, a variety of questions swirl… What does a BCL day feel like? Who are we as a community? What perspectives on this place am I missing? How can I show up as a learner?

True to BCL, the answers to these questions aren’t delivered in a tidy package. Instead, they are discovered through experience, and made meaningful through discussion and reflection. And while every day is a new adventure, after a few weeks, the feel and flow of the Burlington City & Lake Semester program feels natural.

This way of learning is really cool, and it gives me a new a new outlook on things. I think it make me feel like more open to leaning, because it has a lot of hands on experiences.

• Sokhna

Learning this way feels really great and refreshing. Having people come to us and talk about what they do or what they are interested in is a fairly new experience of school. It’s also nice that we can talk to just normal people… Like when we talked to Judy or David, there’s always a reason for us talking to a community partner.

• Jude

The BCL learning style is working great for me as a learner. After doing school online this switch back is perfect. Being outside and getting real life experiences is way better than sitting in four classes all day. I believe that if you are someone that likes to be outside and experience fun things in our community, BCL is the perfect class for you.

• Quinn

I think it is a lot easier for me to remember lessons I learned through an experience than just one I learned by reading it on paper. When I learn through experience, I have a story associated with the lesson, so it is much more deeply ingrained in my mind. It feels much more engaging and easier to retain the things that we have learned, rather than if I had just read about it and moved on with my life. Aside from it being more engaging, I think learning through real world experiences is just simply more fun, because we are doing interesting activities when we learn.

• Jimmy

It feels really refreshing because this is my first time having this experience. And I think I am learning a lot from these classes. It also really opened my mind about the world. I hope I can continue to learn new things from BCL.

• Thomas

Everything in BCL feels different. Learning outside of the classroom is definitely different. It changes my perspective, being out in the real world. It makes me more interested and more curious.

• Tyler

It really works for me because I can experience what we are talking about. I can picture what we are learning in my brain, and that helps me understand the topics more. For example when we had our walk [exploring homelessness in Burlington], that helped me understand the crisis better, because I got to see and hear what was happening. I also learn well through group discussions Our discussions stick more for me, since we can all share our opinions and talk about them. The way we also have crews is really working for me because I do well in smaller groups, and it’s also nice having a deeper connection with one of the BCL teachers.

• Amelia

It feels amazing to be in BCL. Conventional school is just sitting in the same position all day being taught things people have been taught for years and years, whereas BCL is a constantly changing curriculum that faces real issues in the real, current world. I learn face to face best, and BCL is almost the perfect example of that, because you literally go out on the town and learn about what keeps it going.

• Harper

It feels really nice… It’s fun to get out and around I love to stay active and at school it’s hard to move and get fresh air. This is way easier to do so than in normal school. Our walk with the park rangers was super impactful, \ because it showed me how I can help others.

• Byron

I feel like walk with Neil was impactful to me because I didn’t realize how privileged I actually was. I know that have a place to go to every night. It may not be the nicest place, but it’s the place I can call home, a place I can call my own. I’m extremely graetful for everything I have, and Neil helped me realize that.

• Keshon

In BCL, it feels like I can learn better and get a better understanding of the topics we are learning about. Being able to experience and visually see the problems our community is facing in real life helps me understand that these problems are a real thing and not just a headline… Having real experiences will beat out learning about them any day.

I also love BCL because everyone here feels together. As much as there are definitely people who are closer with each other inside the group, I feel like I could be paired up with anyone and be able to have a conversation with them. I also don’t feel like I’m being judged when I’m talking about current issues or sharing my opinion on controversial matters. The environment helps make BCL feel more safe and comfortable in general.

• Finn

I feel fortunate to be in BCL. Not a lot of students get the chance to be in BCL and experience real world events in school. The class is not only a class but also a community. At school you got it class get your work done then leave but here your forced to interact and get to know each other.

• Kali

BCL is a lot more tightly knit than regular school. This allows for a more engaging and immersive learning experience that is based on real world skills, interactions, issues, and experiences. This has allowed me to be more open minded every day, and to try and discover different perspectives within everything I do.

• Eli

It’s very different and I feel like I’m learning much more by having hands on activities… In school I sometimes feel like I’m just being talked at, and not talked with, about the material we’re learning. In BCL, I get to be talked with ,and I can be engaged fully in the conversations and activities we do which really helps me understand more of the content and issues that we are talking about.

• Izzy

Being in the community is a very fun way to learn new information. Walking with Judy was what first made it not feel like a classroom. I really loved the chance to just walk and talk and learn new stuff. At BHS, a lot of the times people don’t ask questions, [but here] people put in effort.

• Nasra

After taking a look at Burlington City & Lake philosophy page, two important ideas stand out: “We believe learning doesn’t have to happen in the classroom,” and “We believe in the joy of learning.” Both of these beliefs shine bright in this program.

On one of the first days, we managed to go outside for a walk and have a wonderful time with class as we learned about the city systems of Burlington. This learning is so different from what I have been used to. Even something as simple as going and getting pizza with the class brings a sense of community and friendship. Normally in school I might just try to avoid having to talk with people who I don’t know, but here I feel comfortable broadening my horizon of conversation. I feel welcome. I feel like I just joined a new family and am excited for what awaits me.

• Hayden