Home » Curriculum » Community Based Curriculum (CBC)

Anser consistently encourages a connection to the community and among one another.

The Benefits of a Community Based Curriculum

• Community involvement is woven into every aspect of the day
• A connection to the community is included as part of learning (“fieldwork”)
• Shared leadership is embraced by parents, teachers and students
• There are high expectations of student behavior, driving character growth among students

What is a Community Based Curriculum?

Community Based Curriculum (CBC) is a program unique to Anser. Developed initially by Anser parents as a way to engage students and offer teachers a collaborative work environment, it has grown to be so much more!

Each Wednesday afternoon all Anser students in first through sixth grade leave their classrooms to explore new learning opportunities. Activities related to the Arts, Music, Science, Athletics, Service and more are offered as a “module”, or 6-8 week course. Each module is coordinated by a community member or Anser parent with talents to share. Some modules stay on campus while others occur offsite with community partners. 

ANSER’s Community-Based Curriculum (CBC) offers a variety of activities that extend beyond the experiences of the classroom.  Through CBC, students are given opportunities to serve, learn about and connect with our community. New skills are learned and new interests cultivated.  Insights gained from these community experiences enhance the relevancy of the classroom curriculum.  The success of CBC is directly related to the effective and meaningful use of parent and community participation.

CBC happens every Wednesday during the school year from 1:00 to 3:15pm. Teachers use this time for valuable staff development and collaborative planning time, while students continue their learning through a CBC module.  Modules are the courses within CBC sessions.  Students are given the opportunity to select from 12-17 modules each session.  The content of each module relates in some way to an Expeditionary Learning Design Principle or theme of the session.  In many cases, the module plan already exists by the CBC Director of the activity or activities that will occur each week during the module.  There is a need for a Module Coordinator to carry it out. In some cases, if a module coordinator proposes a module idea, they will research and write up a plan for that module. Modules are also offered  by community volunteers and instructors in the community.

 Goals of Community Based Curriculum

• Students will gain a greater knowledge of their community and learn about the efforts of individuals and organizations that  support their community. 
• Students will be exposed to an individual’s role and responsibility as a member of a community. 
• Students will become empowered and contributing participants through serving their community.
•  CBC sessions will be grounded in Expeditionary Learning Design Principles. 
•  Students will be exposed to a wide variety of course offerings.  New abilities and interests may then be discovered.
• Parents will be provided opportunities to share their interests and talents with the students, and participate in the learning experience of their child.

 Parental Involvement

Parental involvement is critical to the success of Anser’s CBC program. Module coordinators, volunteers and drivers are needed each week to facilitate our student’s exploration of CBC activities.  CBC is a great way for parents to get involved with the school, meet other Anser parents and get to know their children’s friends.   At the beginning of each session, module description packets and registration forms are sent out to all students. The students then indicate their module choices on their registration form, numbering them in order of preference. A lottery is then held to place students in modules.

Most modules are planned and outlined and simply need a willing parent to actually implement the module. A parent who volunteers to be a Module Coordinator is responsible for the module and the students in that module for one 4-6 week session. A training workshop is held prior to each session. 

CBC at ANSER is a whole-school community endeavor.  In the ‘11-12′ school year, we had 1870 total volunteer hours served in CBC .  We rely heavily on the input of our parents through the CBC Committee and through module ideas developed by our parent community. Contact the CBC Director today and jump into the fun of expeditionary learning with your child through CBC!

 If you are interested in volunteering with CBC as a parent, or as a community partner contact us. Also, please click here for our CBC Modules, CBC Volunteer Needs or CBC Forms.