Jan 23, 2009

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Junior Urban Adventure?
The JUA is a learning expedition in Boston. JUA staff and senior leaders decide on a theme to direct students toward meaningful outcomes. Groups choose an issue and examine this issue from multiple perspectives including at least one that they may personally disagree with.

Under the guidance of a faculty member students explore their topic area by seeking out various galleries, exhibits, performances, buildings, individuals, historical sites, and other destinations in and around the city of Boston. Students collect multiple points of view and create their own meaning from these new inputs. Finally students share what they have learned with their peers in written, visual or oral formats.

When is the JUA?
This year it is March 23-25

What is the role of the Faculty and Senior Leaders?
Topic leaders are the heart and soul of this program. As a topic leader you will:
• Work alongside a senior
• Help students explore multiple points of view on your issue
• Meet with students before the experience to help them develop their research question
• Physically help guide your students through the city and guide them through a research process
• Be on free time duty in the evening
• Work with your department head to approve your participation and manage coverage for your duties at school while you are away

What do Juniors get to do?
The Juniors’ experience is the center of the JUA. Juniors will ask meaningful questions and try to answer them in Boston. Specifically Juniors complete a portfolio and present their findings to their peers. Above all students are asked to be respectful, responsible and have fun!

I heard some seniors are coming along too?
Yes, seniors who went last year are returning as Senior Leaders. They had a meaningful time last year and are making the JUA their Service Learning Project. Look to them for information, guidance and passion in their topic area.

Where are we staying in the city? Where do we eat?
All students and faculty will be staying at a hotel in the heart of the city. For safety purposes we're not advertising the location online. You will stay in hotel style rooms of up to four people. Boys and girls will stay in separate floors. Continental breakfast takes place in the morning. Lunch and dinner will happen on the fly in the city when it works for you. We'll provide you cash for this purpose.

What are the Juniors going to learn?
We expect the Juniors to come away with these outcomes:
• Investigate an area of interest in depth
• Interact with professionals in their field of interest, opening up possible avenues of creative career exploration.
• Direct their own course of investigation within your itinerary
• Reflect on their own skills as independent learners before and after the Urban Adventure
• Ask a meaningful question, formulate an answer and back up their answer with findings from their time in Boston

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