Ravenna – Good things continue to happen at Ravenna High School. Last week we saw the Day of Service, when all the students turned out to help the community in various ways. What a success it was! While checking out the students working downtown, this reporter noticed a QR code at the Ravenna Area Chamber of Commerce, on a flier in the window. Of course, I scanned it, and some very interesting information popped up! It was information regarding that historical building, and a video of some students with the current owner.
Turns out, another RHS project was running during that time. This project was created and led by Mr. Matt Wunderle and Mr. Richard Sullivan, both teachers in the high school’s social studies department. Mr. Wunderle was born and raised in Ravenna. He went to Hiram College, and soon was teaching middle school here. He came to the high school when an opening occurred. There, he met Mr. Sullivan. Mr. Sullivan grew up in Mentor, and went to Lake Erie College. He is currently in his ninth year as a teacher, and is working on his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. Both gentlemen are passionate about teaching, and specifically teaching social studies.
Together they created an honors curriculum that is a 4-year program for the participants. It began in Fall of 2019, when Mr. Wunderle met with Superintendent Dennis Honkala and Portage County Treasurer Brad Cromes. Naming it after Supreme Court Justice and Ravenna Graduate, William R. Day, they implemented the program in the 2020-2021 school year, the William R. Day Civics Institute.
It starts with Honors World History in ninth grade. In this class, the students model the UN, partner with the Italian/American Society, and complete a two-hour internship amongst other learning activities. Field trips include the West Side Market, Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage/Cleveland Art Museum and Camp Garfield.
Then on to American History in tenth grade. In this class, students participate in National History Day, and form a Partnership with Portage County Historical Society and Maple Grove Cemetery. They also apprentice with RHS seniors on Project Citizen, and complete a 4-hour community service project. Field Trips include the Hale Farm as well as Stan Hywet and Firestone Factory regarding the industrial revolution, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and visit the Kent State May 4th Exhibit.
American History is followed by Government in eleventh grade. Students in Honors Government have a very active, participatory role in many respects, such as participation in We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution. We The People promotes civic competence and responsibility among the nation’s children. They also lead role-play educational games in the Reacting to the Past series. They also experience partnerships with City Council/Township Trustees, and perform 6 hours of community service. Field Trips include Federal Reserve Bank – Cleveland, the Courthouse, Justice Centers and the Ohio Statehouse and Ohio Supreme Court – Columbus.
Then onto the senior year for the William R. Day Civics Institute. The previously mention QR codes are part of the requirements for this course. In late September, Cheryl Wood of the city council, spoke with the class and challenged them to become more engaged. The idea for the QR codes actually came from the students! That project was the seniors’ final for the first semester of the class Honors Ravenna Civics. The core resource for this class was a book written by local historian and writer, the late Roger DiPaolo. These QR codes are not permanent, yet. Mr. Wunderle and Mr. Sullivan are seeking ways to make it so. They utilized the school library, Reed Memorial Library, Mr. Sullivan’s personal library…anywhere they could research, they did. This research led two students to meet with Eric Hummell, the current owner of Ravenna Block II. More information about this program is available at Ravenna Civics Historic Building Tour (google.com). The QR codes were publicly launched at 2021 Midnight Madness. What a great class, but wouldn’t the second semester be somewhat of a let-down from that? Nope.
Semester two involves a working internship with many of the offices of our local government. Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Wunderle hope this part of the class ‘will pull back the veil of local government’ in order for the students to understand the effects of local government on our lives. Because Ravenna is the county seat, students at Ravenna High are uniquely situated to participate in both local and county government offices. It is literally within walking distance from their school. Small groups of students rotated through many offices. They were able to see the local government in action, participate in day-to-day activities there, and tour the various facilities.
Planning for this was extensive. Each public office worked with the Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Wunderle to plan the agenda for the 8 internship hours. The various offices did have autonomy to decide which experience to choose to maximize the impact of the internship. Mr. Sullivan thinks this ‘worked incredibly well.’
Each group of three to four students was required to do 8 hours with the community partners at their assigned site. The students were able to choose the members of their groups. The length of each internship was two weeks. Students kept a time sheet with proposed dates and times, which were shared with the partners prior to each rotation. Any changes were to be handled 10 days prior to the start date. They also kept a daily journal, complete with writing and video to account for their efforts. They returned to the classroom every other Friday to ‘debrief’ from their experiences.
Participating offices include
- Treasurer
- Recorder
- City Hall
- Reed Memorial Library
- Portage Metropolitan Housing Authority
The Capstone of this experience was held on Monday, May 16 when students shared their internships with the community. Held in the gym, the student teams had presentation boards, samples, fliers and videos to share with members of the public. Mayor Frank Semans was there, along with Ryann Kuchenbecker from the Ravenna Chamber of Commerce. Other community members include Councilwoman Michael, who was active in the first semester, Rebecca Miller from the library, Pamela Nation Calhoun from PMHA. Members of the Ravenna Board of Education also attended, along with many others. Visitors could view the program’s web site, William R Day Civics Institute (google.com) and enjoy some light refreshments which were provided by RHS Principal Beth Coleman.
The students themselves were very complimentary of the program. Hannah Fletcher found that seeing how the offices work ‘behind the scenes’ is likely to influence her future. Ellen Gerzeny found it cool to learn about the technical aspects of the waste water treatment. Zack MacFarland thought it was great to experience how all parts of the of the government work together.
Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Wunderle’s shared vision for the Ravenna Social Studies department is inspired, innovative and timely. For them, it is all in a day’s work. They encourage other government offices to reach out if interested in participating and hosting the Honors Ravenna Civics students.
This reporter, no stranger to public education, was very impressed with the depth of learning, commitment to teaching and public partnerships observed during these past weeks. The programs in our school system are making a difference for our students and our collective futures.
