The program, which stresses hands-on activities and experiments, is open to all Del Valle ISD teachers, and is housed on the Hillcrest campus. With all of the work required in the last five years, it might appear that Hillcrest Elementary would be a very serious, no-frills place to visit. Actually, the opposite is true. The principal, the staff, and the students are inspired by success and love the process of learning as it occurs at Hillcrest. As students work in small groups, three different activities may be taking place in the library, and learning rarely occurs while quietly working alone at a desk.
Students mentor other students, and teachers facilitate independent learning.
When students investigate Colonial America, one student might use the Internet to learn about blacksmiths, while another interviews the art teacher about weaving, and a third may be reading a novel about the period. The students collaborate on a finished product, just as their parents do in the world of work. It is a public school's responsibility to prepare students for this world at every grade level. When students leave Hillcrest, they are confident, able learners seeking new methods to attain even higher levels of student achievement. These challenges will be similar to those in many parts of Texas.