MKA ACOP - Advanced Curricular Opportunities Pilot

Introduction

MKA’s Advanced Curricular Opportunities Pilot (ACOP) connects Upper School students to further applications and explorations of their work at MKA and celebrates meaningful student endeavors that happen beyond our walls.

Deep learning happens when a student understands the way shape impacts light in a sculpture class, speaks articulately in another language for the first time in a Chinese language class, or debugs an algorithm in an advanced computer science class. It happens when a student hangs her art on a wall for the first time in one of MKA’s corridors, speaks on the Weiss stage for the first time to present the Chinese New Year, or brings in a speaker to talk to his club about the ways in which bias can be baked into algorithms. ACOP acknowledges that deep learning can also happen on weekends or evenings or summer programs, during internships or apprenticeships or travel experiences far from MKA’s physical location.

ACOP aims to help students figure out where and how they want to learn outside of MKA, and how they can bring the full scope of this learning to the work that they do at school. When successful, it is an additional tributary of learning that nourishes MKA’s robust curricular and extracurricular programs and dynamic classroom settings.

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ACOP Timeline

Though advanced curricular opportunities happen at unpredictable times and often appear through informal channels, a school’s job is to be consistent and formal when dealing with issues of equity and access. We have committed to the following cadence to ensure that interested students have the opportunity to share their experiences, learn from others, and seek support when endeavoring to expand their learning beyond MKA’s offerings

Fall

We run forums for 10th and 11th grade students to encourage students to codify and present their ACOP experiences and to learn from others about experiences and opportunities. (While 9th and 12th grade students are not excluded from ACOP, we encourage them to use September, October, and November to focus on their transition to the Upper School and their college applications, respectively.)

Winter

We encourage students to begin to target opportunities that they may wish to pursue. Targeting includes researching opportunities, exploring MKA’s extended network, seeking mentorship, and understanding requirements and deadlines for applications. For some students, opportunities may begin right away; other students may be planning for summer “semester” or a more distant offering.

Winter/Spring

We recommend that interested students apply for opportunities to expand their learning. We will offer a series of workshops, including but not limited to: resume writing, interviewing skills, and networking. Students can also seek the school’s guidance and mentorship during this time.

Spring

Students should assess their opportunities, commit to an opportunity if possible, or reassess the approach they took engage with an advanced curricular opportunity. We will again run forums for students to help them prepare for ACOP opportunities during the next academic year.

Mentorship

The ACOP Committee is comprised of members from each Upper School academic department and the administration. These people act as point people for a given discipline or category and can discuss opportunities or offer mentorship to interested students.

English: Cindy Darling
History: Kyle Salkin
Health, Wellness, & Physical Education: Rob Leather
Interdisciplinary and Research: Jill Maza
Leadership & Service: Kerry Verrone
Math & Computer Science: Petra Sauer
Science: Marc Tuazon
Semester Programs, Independent Study, & Nomination Based Programs: Maria Shepard

Opportunities

These opportunities have been loosely vetted by members of the ACOP Committee and they will change from year to year. In some cases, we have direct knowledge of the programs, and in other cases we are simply presenting opportunities that appear to be sound. We strongly recommend that students and families vet these opportunities fully and independently before committing to them. Put simply, MKA has assembled this list as a starting point for families rather than an endorsement of the entities included on the list.

View all opportunities

Job Board

MKA offers opportunities for students to work on projects for teachers or administrators. These projects help students to gain real world experience, produce authentic work, and impact the school.

View JoBs

Help Out

Have an idea for a possible ACOP connection or experience? Complete this form and a member of the team will respond.