PBBL Check In

SMMUSD’s new high school Personalized Project-Based Learning (PPBL) Pathway, located at the Michelle and Barack Obama Center for Inquiry and Exploration, has now been in session for one full semester, after launching in August of 2019. PPBL principal Jessica Rishe, who also doubles as the principal of the K-8 Santa Monica Alternative School House (SMASH), founded the school with the intention of providing students individualized learning plans that cater to their interests. Currently, 41 students are enrolled in the school. According to SMMUSD’s website FAQ page, PPBL students spend three days on campus, taking a humanities block and a science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) block. The other two days each week are set aside for “Leaving to Learn'' (L2L) and “Leaving Through Interest'' (LTI). These days, students leave campus to work with experts in their field of interest and have independent time to work on personal projects. Freshmen may join one of four groups on these days: Digital Storytelling, Community Spaces, Virtual Reality (VR) or Creating Advocacy/Environmental Stewardship. As sophomores, these students will have the opportunity to pursue these specialties with mentors in their areas of interest. Tali Chase (’23) began her freshman year by splitting her time between PPBL and Samo. She spent the majority of her time at the Innovation Center building, but travelled to Samo’s campus for both PE and theatre. She was also part of the PPBL theatre group, which mainly travelled to different theatre companies and plays on L2L days. Through this program, she was not only able to learn, but also develop strong relationships with her teachers and peers. “I was able to get a lot done because there were not a lot of people in the classrooms with me, meaning there were less distractions. I knew each of my teachers and it was easy for me to get into contact with them and get one-on-one help. Leaving to Learn helped me actually enjoy learning, as it gave me the opportunity to get out of the classroom and learn about my interests,” Chase said.  Rishe is pleased with how the first semester panned out. During the first six weeks of this semester, they have already visited several different sites, including college campuses, animal shelters and more. Throughout the year, students collaborate to present what they have learned. “We do group exhibitions of learning, so students worked in groups on integrated projects and then we invite community members and family to come see. The progress from first to the second really stood out to me,” Rishe said.  Classes at PPBL typically have 25 students or less, and the school currently has 41 students altogether. The small student body limits the choice of classes and groups that can be offered, although the hope is that as the school grows, they will be able to provide students with more options. While applications for freshmen and sophomores for the 2020-2021 school year were due by March 20, 2020, Rishe has stated that there are still spaces available, especially for incoming sophomores.