Evolutions
Description: The Evolutions program guides students through the challenging and rewarding experience of embracing their curiosity to take ownership of their learning. We welcome all types of learners who are eager to consider new perspectives on themselves, their learning, and the world. Together we will tackle the rigorous task of building connections across the disciplines of Art, English, Science, and Social Studies. Using this interdisciplinary and collaborative approach, students will: synthesize a variety of learning experiences; think critically about the content and themselves; apply objective knowledge to formulate solutions to real-world problems; connect to community; and communicate through creative forms of expression.
Essential to our mission is a commitment to learning in the Wellesley community and the surrounding area through partnerships, site visits, and field work. These place-based experiences are vital to the development of practical skills and contextual understandings. Students will share their learning with a broader audience through a combination of self-directed, collaborative, and teacher directed projects. Students and teachers alike will face educational challenges they may not have previously encountered to promote personal and intellectual growth.
Evolutions students will also work alongside teachers to foster a tight-knit community of diverse individuals. In weekly Town Hall sessions, the Evolutions students and teachers will participate in guided protocols to build their communication skills and empower student voice. Evolutions also provides opportunities for students to continually shape and improve the program both during the year and for future years.
For more information, please visit the Evolutions Program’s regularly updated website: http://whsevolutions.wixsite.com/evolutionswhs
Honors Level / Rigor:
In order to be successful in navigating open ended and student driven projects, students must have or be willing to grow independent learning skills. This means going through processes where the next step isn't always defined and success in a product is not guaranteed.
Students should expect between 1 hr and 1.5 hrs of PrepWork each night.
Evolutions Program Information
Open to Juniors and Seniors.
Year-long Program (4 Courses). 24 Credits
Meets requirement of one year of English, Science, Social Studies, and Art courses.
Collaboration: working effectively with peers
Communication: using a variety of methods to convey information and perspectives
Community: working on and sharing learning outside of the classroom environment
Process: understanding "the why" of their work and taking responsibility for their process
Thinking: practicing creative, critical, and reflective thinking
Prerequisites: Students must complete a pre-registration form with a parent signature by early March to indicate their intent to enroll in the program - see below.
Structure / Schedule: Evolutions meets for four color-blocks in the cycle, with students having the opportunity to take three classes outside of the program (more if taking Block A classes).
For Application Instructions (click here) (has links to the next two items as well)
For the Parent Permission Application Form (click here)
For the Online Application (click here)
If there are more applicants than there are spots in Evolutions, students with all application components will be considered first followed by a lottery. A waitlist will be established.
*Evolutions counts towards NCAA eligibility EXCEPT Art.
Evolutions Intensive H (Elective)
**NOT OFFERED IN THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR**
The concept for Evolutions - Year 2 is for students to continue the skills of building community, collaborating, owning learning, and having work that is authentic and meaningful through student directed and teacher supported projects with greater complexity and scope. Students will continue their practice with the Evo Learning Outcomes, which are aligned with Wellesley’s Profile of a Graduate.
The main focus will be students conceptualizing and executing a project with strong community ties over the course of the semester.
This course is offered as an Honors level - Intensive. Honors students should expect to complete outside work as a primary component of the additional honors curriculum, in addition to extended project components. All students will share their process and products in a public forum and/or share their experience in Evo with the community.
Note - there will be no overlap with the Evolutions Year 1 program. Students interested in pursuing that should review WHS's SA Policy.
** PENDING APPROVAL**
Structure
Fall Semester
1 block, 5 x cycle
3 Credits
This is a rigorous honors-level course that will count in the computation of your Grade Point Average. Students desiring to enroll in this class must consult with their school counselor and meet the pre-requisites below.
Pre-Requisites
Students must have successfully completed one year of Evolutions
Students must have shown "Meets Standard" in independent learning (Organization & Responsibility, Field Work, Critical Thinking, Collaboration).
Students must complete an "Entrance Interview" with the Evolutions Coordinator
Students must complete Summer Work of a "Project Proposal Packet" by the start of the 24/25 school year