“Please use this sidewalk chalk to draw a picture of how you are feeling after the storm.” These were the instructions given to a small group of children who had gathered while their parents stood in line at a food distribution site in Swannanoa, North Carolina, one of the hardest-hit towns from Hurricane Helene. The person giving these instructions was creating a safe and welcoming activity for young children who might have otherwise been bored and restless as their families waited in line for a hot meal.

What if we told you that the person leading this activity wasn’t a child care professional or therapist, but a local student who had come with her mother to Swannanoa that day to help distribute food with World Central Kitchen? Finding more than enough volunteers already handing out meals, this resourceful teenager took the initiative to retrieve materials from her car, brightening the day for young children — and their parents — in the process.

This is only one of many stories from Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, highlighting students who identified a need and took action to support their communities and families. And while simply finding and sharing these stories is inspiring in itself, what if we could do even more? What if these examples of student leadership and community impact could spark broader, long-term positive change in Western North Carolina as these communities and schools work to rebuild and become more resilient?

“As I watched in awe while a family in a mountain community rebuilt their washed-out road, I thought about all the things the student involved was learning. This is not a time of lost learning, but of learning opportunities. Students like this are immersed in real-world challenges that inspire us all.”

Michelle Taylor, Director and STEM Specialist at The Mountain Office of The Science House of NCSU

Hurricane Helene brought immense challenges, but it also offered students opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills in meaningful ways, demonstrating real-world leadership and learning, as seen in the story above. By stepping up to help with causes they cared about, students developed critical skills in adaptability, problem-solving, empathy, and likely others we’ll continue to uncover in the coming months. Much like during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, there is a risk that these experiences may go unrecognized amidst urgent recovery needs and the pressure to make up for missed school days.

Acknowledging both the profound disruption to instructional time and the valuable life lessons gained, how might we ensure that this real-world learning — supporting families, contributing to community recovery — is honored and even recognized as a vital form of education? Rather than viewing these times solely as ‘lost,’ what if we recognized them as essential pieces of a more holistic picture of student growth — one that values both academic progress and meaningful community contributions? By exploring answers to these questions, we allow these stories of impact to become more than moments of inspiration; they can be catalysts for reimagining what authentic experiential learning and innovative credentialing might look like for all students.

We believe this shift isn’t just possible; it’s imperative. That’s why Open Way Learning, SparkNC, Education Reimagined, and a coalition of other North Carolina-based nonprofits are collaborating with teachers and school leaders across Western North Carolina to co-design an initiative that not only highlights stories of student learning and community impact like this one, but leverages these experiences to foster a culture of authentic learning and innovation in schools throughout the region.

Consider this: a global environmental response team, known for their work in disaster areas and underserved communities without filtered water, recently visited Canton Middle School (CMS). They demonstrated to three local principals, including Casey Kruk from CMS, how to use portable water testing kits for real-time citizen science and water quality analysis. This knowledge, which directly addressed the aftermath of Helene’s flooding, provided valuable insights into local water safety and environmental health.

Following this tutorial, Dr. Kruk met with the school’s science teachers to discuss how this hands-on learning could be integrated into their classrooms, making the study of water quality standards suddenly relevant to students impacted by the flood. Inspired by the environmental team’s guidance, teachers began developing lesson plans that would allow students to engage in real-world learning, using samples from the same river affected by the flood and doing so in a way that is directly aligned to North Carolina’s science standards.

But the impact doesn’t stop there.

With support from external experts, CMS educators gained firsthand knowledge and resources to develop more engaging, relevant lessons that offer a deeper learning experience for their students. These prototype lessons are now available for adoption and adaptation by other schools and districts affected by Helene’s flooding across the region. This kind of collaboration is a powerful example of what this initiative is all about.

Through this initiative, we aim to create a collaborative space for educators, students, community members, and other stakeholders to co-design similar learner-centered, experiential projects focused on recovery and resilience. These open-source resources would be freely available for adaptation across the region and beyond.

The first phase of this work will begin on November 22 with a one-day design sprint at the Western Region Education Service Alliance (WRESA) offices in Asheville. This empathy-driven process (which is still open for WNC educators) will allow participants to explore and draw inspiration from stories like those shared here, using them as “images of possibility” to then create an initial set of prototype lessons, projects, and activities that are all grounded in Helene recovery and rebuilding efforts. These resources will then be immediately accessible to classroom teachers and school leaders throughout Western North Carolina.

Building on the prototypes developed in November, a second, more comprehensive design sprint will follow in January (date and location TBD). This two-day event will serve as the initiative’s official launchpad, bringing together additional educators and stakeholders to design a wider variety of learner-centered projects, lessons, and strategies that recognize and credential students’ real-world contributions. These resources will align with the North Carolina Portrait of a Graduate, high-tech pathways, and core academic standards across all curricular areas and grade levels.

“When professionals build mastery in their craft, they become certified, and we as their clients ask about their credentials before hiring them. In this same way, students gain deep, applicable knowledge through hands-on recovery work. Whether they’re learning about electrical circuits while rewiring a business or mastering geometry concepts while rebuilding flood-damaged homes, this is real learning. We need to recognize and credit students for their authentic learning experiences.”

Amanda Clapp, Science Teacher at the WCU Catamount School

The final phase of this initiative will broaden collaboration among regional educators, students, business and community stakeholders, and nonprofits. The prototypes developed earlier will act as catalysts for expanding experiential learning strategies, such as place-based, project-based, and phenomenon-based learning, across schools in the region. With a focus on topics like power generation, water access, communication networks, mental health, and disaster logistics, we aim to empower students to actively apply their learning to local rebuilding and resiliency efforts. Moreover, by leveraging emerging fields like cybersecurity, data analytics, and technology-driven problem-solving, students can explore high-tech solutions to real-world problems, further enriching their contributions to community resilience, while also developing skills needed in today’s innovation economy.

This phase will also further develop credentialing prototypes, such as digital portfolios, micro-credentials, and mastery-based assessments, aligned with North Carolina’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) policies. Our goal is to pave the way for wider adoption of CBE strategies across the region’s schools. Throughout all phases, inclusivity remains paramount; we will ensure a diversity of community voices and stories are represented, particularly from underrepresented groups.

The saying ‘Never let a crisis go to waste,’ often misattributed to Winston Churchill, captures the spirit of this initiative: to enable schools across the region to transform recovery efforts into a foundation for student-led problem-solving, using the challenges of Helene as a catalyst for meaningful change. The initiative will ensure relevant resources are accessible that teachers and school leaders can adapt and share in their classrooms, extending the reach of deep, real-world learning experiences as students contribute to the long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts they — and ideally their communities — will lead for years to come.

We invite educators, community leaders, and potential funders to join us in refining this initiative to make a true difference in this cherished part of North Carolina. Your support will help create lasting, meaningful change for students and communities across Western North Carolina. Use this link to get involved. In the meantime, find some sidewalk chalk and draw a picture to show a student how you are feeling today. They will understand.