A lot of high school students focus on hanging out with friends, doing homework, and working a job, usually not mentoring elementary students. Many LHS students have formed a bond with younger elementary students from EPiC Elementary through a partnership that Dr. Michelle Schmitz, Principal of EPiC Elementary and Dr. April Adams, Principal of LHS have created.

“Dr. Adams and I look forward to having our students work together.   We are able to expand learning opportunities for both elementary and high school students by forming a partnership,” Schmitz said.

Many of the classes involved with the partnership are A+, EIP, Spanish 4, and College Chemistry. In A+ high school students tutor the elementary students to earn hours for college or scholarships.

“EPiC students in Studio 2 have partnered with a high school class to revive our LPS memory garden.  It is place in the district where we can honor our own LPS family that have passed way.  People are welcome to come and walk in the memory garden.  The students have planted shrubbery that attracts butterflies with the help of a community expert.  It is very peaceful,” Schmitz said.

The second grade class is holding a fundraiser on October 7^th and 8^th to help raise money for the memory garden. The second grade class will come over in two groups during Liberty Hour and sell bags of Skittles and M&M’s.

College Chemistry has also been mentoring fifth graders and helping them with science experiments.

“We went over there for a half day to basically help the students design an experiment on popping popcorn and go through that process of having a testable question, writing a hypothesis, conducting experiment, and so on. We’re following that up with some mentoring where the high school students will be virtually meeting maybe through FaceTime with some of the fifth graders as they design their own science experiments this fall” college chemistry teacher, Todd McDonald said.

There are only 10 to 11 LHS students from College Chemistry that help mentor EPiC students and they love what they do.

“[The elementary students] really enjoyed having us [be] there. It was really great to be able to work with them and they seem to really enjoy being able to work with us,” junior Sam Browning said.

Browning said, “Well, I have relatives who are teachers and have always had an interest in education. It’s been something that I’ve really enjoyed helping others do.”

“We’ve only been once, but the whole group asked Mr. McDonald if we could possibly do something again in the future,” junior Blaine Rohlf said. Not only does mentoring elementary students help give an insight to what a career in education could possibly be like, but it also helps them enjoy the subject they’re teaching even more.

Teachers love seeing students mentor younger students because they believe it helps refresh the information they’re teaching and also having one-on-one interaction can really help them learn even more.

“You know a couple things, I think it helps to refresh really what good science is for them, I also think it is been helping for them to give constructive feedback for them to even work with kids, and I think just even entertaining the thought of maybe they want to work with kids in their profession,” McDonald said.

“Well, it’s a great experience for anyone who’s interested in science or in education. So if it ever comes around again it would be great to see other people do it,” Browning said.

LHS and EPiC has a unique partnership that is unlike any other.

“We are in an age where collaboration is very important.  It is one of our 21st century skills.  It is nice that we have the high school right across the street.  It makes it easy to provide collaborative opportunities for students of all different ages.  The high school students can learn from EPiC students, and EPiC students can learn from high school students,” Schmitz said.