This program has made me more independent and improved my self-esteem. The personal development is huge. The students, guided by teacher Ann Marie Stone, come to campus every morning for a half-day program to explore multiple facets of careers in education and human services. To participate, students must be seniors in the top 20 percent of their class and are chosen following interviews. New Visions programs, which must be sanctioned by the State Education Department, must incorporate high school requirements for senior social studies and English.
Students return to their home schools in the afternoon to complete science and math requirements.
Regent Geraldine Chapey said that while students may find such programs interesting and enjoyable, the concern of educators is that New Visions programs also teach students the skills they would have learned in the classroom. Stone said that while the program requires students to complete more traditional projects in researching, writing papers and giving presentations, it also gives students the opportunity to seek knowledge in new ways. For example, the students are exploring the history of the philosophy of teaching by interviewing retired and current teachers, making journals of their experiences and reading David Copperfield. This allows them to do that. Stone said she volunteered to teach the course because of her desire to attract top students to the field of education.