![]() ![]() It took us most of the year to figure out the right mix of approaches. We struggled last year to balance a traditional, remedial approach to help students catch up quickly in math and literacy while encouraging personalization, deeper learning and the pursuit of passions and interests. The big learning in the first month or two was recognizing how far behind the kids we had were – most were three to four years behind in literacy and math-the average student entered, the lowest 5 percent nationally. We didn’t have a firm handle on what the learning needs of our young people would be before we opened. The purpose that drives Venture’s program is cultivating entrepreneurial leadership – to help young people develop that aspiration to really make a difference in the world, both while they’re at school as well as afterwards. The components of that are personalization – adapting the pace and the type of learning to the needs and interests of individual young people and to help people discover those interests so they can tap into their passions. Another component is self-directed learning to let students take more ownership and control over their goals and learning. We set out to create a school designed to maximize, to cultivate intrinsic motivation, which we believe is the key driver for longterm learning. We’ve changed a lot heading into the second year. Paul, co-founded a peer-led active citizenship leadership training program for young adults, and taught American history to Czech student leaders active in the Velvet Revolution of 1989.Venture Academy in Minneapolis relies, in part, on computer programs to help students who are far behind catch up. Bacal previously served as education advisor to the mayor of St. Paul and Hiawatha Academies in Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Public Schools’ Office of New Schools. ![]() In addition to Venture, he served as lead founder of Twin Cities Academy in St. Over the last 20 years as an education change-maker, Bacal has founded, co-founded or helped launch 30 charter schools in three states as founder and leader of SchoolStart, a nonprofit consulting firm. Bacal also co-leads the Minnesota Learner-Centered Network, a multi-school collaborative of 12 schools supporting youth voice and leadership for school transformation. ![]() Jon Bacal is the founder, Executive Director and student leadership coach of Venture Academy, a Minneapolis public charter middle-high school with the mission of building entrepreneurs by developing independence, scholarship and leadership that opened in 2013. The highest number of Latino and African-American participants in the Youth in Government program of any Minnesota school Selected as one of 22 American schools participating in the annual SparkHouse youth leadership gathering in Washington, D.C. Building a statewide support network of 12 schools supporting youth leadership and voice to support school transformation. A middle school team won a Startup Weekend EDU entrepreneurship competition as they launched a youth-friendly fundraising web platform. Recent Venture student milestones have included: Venture, learners take charge of earning through a rigorous, personalized and self-paced academic program, real-world professional internships and hands-on opportunities to take leadership, make change and practice entrepreneurship. Venture Academy is a public charter school that serves more than 300 diverse learners in grades 6-12 from predominantly underprivileged backgrounds. Venture is one of 20 winners of the national Next Generation Learning Challenges 2013 school design competition, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Venture’s mission is building entrepreneurs by developing the independence, scholarship and leadership of young people. At Venture Academy in Minneapolis, young people take charge of their learning in the classroom, make change in their school and world, and grow skills and opportunities for the future. ![]()
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