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DYNAMICALLY ENGAGED >><br />
Operation Impact (continued)<br />
After answering these questions, they took time to connect with<br />
others in their class, finding things in common. The groups then<br />
thought about their answers and how they could uniquely come<br />
up with ideas to solve problems using their common passions.<br />
Through this, many students ended up working with peers they<br />
did not know well or even who were from other grades. In one<br />
case, a group of Grade 5 engineers designed a robot prototype,<br />
but realized they needed help with raising money to build the real<br />
thing. They “hired” someone from the film room to make a video<br />
of their robot prototype, then “hired” someone from the digital<br />
media room to make the website that would introduce their robot.<br />
Robbins observed, “A really cool moment of the day was when<br />
I was monitoring snack time. After giving the snacks, I gave the<br />
students choices of where to go–they could either stay in the<br />
cafeteria or go back to the room to work on their projects. The<br />
majority of the students went back to the room, even when asked<br />
by friends to stay. That’s when it hit me. We are giving them free<br />
time and they are choosing not to take it! They are electing to go<br />
work on something that we are not even grading or forcing them to<br />
do! What kids do that? It was one of those things that I knew could<br />
theoretically happen, but haven’t seen in practice yet!”<br />
Zimmer came to CHCA to lead the students in a piloting<br />
workshop. After hearing his ideas, the students spent an afternoon<br />
storyboarding and prototyping their ideas. Many random items<br />
were in the building for the students to use as prototypes.<br />
Guest experts consisting of parents, alumni, alumni parents,<br />
and friends of CHCA were brought in during the week to work<br />
with the students. They presented mini-presentations and gave<br />
personal feedback to each of the student groups, Jon Adams<br />
‘95, helped students who were interested in business. Dr. Vijay<br />
Easwaran, who is a research chemist at P&G, and Dr. Maura<br />
Easwaran, who works with the EPA, provided information from<br />
an environmentalist perspective that young scientists are facing.<br />
UC Biology Professor Heather Christensen also helped with<br />
those interested in science. Engineers Dr. Kris Gansle and Christy<br />
Hansell, as well as CHCA Technology Teacher, Adam Cool ‘01,<br />
provided their expertise with those designing projects.<br />
Crossroads’ Awaited producer Paula Rakestraw, Friends of the<br />
Groom actor, Tom Long, and Christine Shrum, who does film<br />
for The Underground, spent time discussing their passions for<br />
theater and film with students. Professional Christian rap/hip-hop<br />
artist and producer, Regis Jones, Crossroads’ Kids Club Director,<br />
Chris Stewart, and Ginger Johnson, who works with the Dance<br />
Education program at the Cincinnati Ballet, also offered their<br />
expertise for the students interested in the performing arts.<br />
Cincinnati Enquirer author and editorialist, Peter Bronson,<br />
children’s book author, Julie Nicholas, and Paul Smith, author<br />
of Lead With a Story and Parenting With a Story, assisted those<br />
interested in writing and storytelling. Emily Vilardo, an artist who<br />
works at Restavek Freedom Foundation, explained how she uses<br />
art and graphic design to promote justice issues with children in<br />
Haiti.<br />
One of the guest experts commented on how well the students<br />
asked questions and how well they worked together in groups. She<br />
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