A few months ago, our educational staff embarked on an “In Real Life” field trip to local businesses and non-profits to explore the attitudes, attributes, skills, and education necessary for success in today’s job market. The goal? To better understand how our educational approach, including project-based learning, equips ACS students to thrive in their future careers.

As an educator at ACS, I’m deeply invested in our mission: engaging minds, nurturing hearts, and shaping God’s world. This mission underpins everything we do and recently I had the privilege to see it in action in a way that was both professional and personal.

Firsthand Experience

The day was filled with anticipation and discovery as staff visited one of several businesses, ranging from tech startups to manufacturing companies, entrepreneurs to corporate non-profits.

But the highlight of the day for me was having staff visit one particular workplace: my daughter’s.

As an ACS grad, my daughter was eager to host a group of educators at her workplace because she felt uniquely qualified to speak to the merits of project-based learning. She shared that there were many skills that she developed while working with other students on a project.

“In addition to communication and critical thinking, I would have to say the most important skill I learned was collaboration. We were placed in groups with a lot of diversity. Accommodations needed to be made and quitting was not an option, so we had to figure out how to use each person’s skills to create the end product. Having voice and choice in projects was great but we had to learn how to work it out together.”

Further, she reflected on her education at ACS and noted how it required perseverance and built confidence in her ability to problem-solve and give presentations.

As hard as it was at the time, she is now very grateful for the learning opportunities.

My daughter is a testament to the transformative power of project-based learning.

At ACS, she honed her abilities to collaborate, communicate, and think critically—skills that she now uses daily in her career. During the visit, she led the presentation and showcased the very skills we strive to instill in our students. Hearing about her confidence in answering questions, articulating ideas, and problem-solving in real time was a proud parent moment.

It was also a vivid reminder of the real-world impact of our educational practices.

Connecting Learning to Life

At ACS, project-based learning is a cornerstone of our pedagogical approach.

This method mirrors the collaborative, problem-solving environment of the workplaces we visited. Through project-based learning, our students don’t just memorize facts; they learn to apply knowledge, work in teams, and persevere through challenges. These are the very skills my daughter demonstrated during her presentation—skills that have carried her from the classroom to the professional world.

This IRL field trip affirmed that our educational approach is on the right track. By engaging students in meaningful, hands-on projects, we’re not only preparing them for academic success, but also equipping them to navigate and shape God’s world with confidence and purpose.