A significant portion of students in America lack access to experiential learning, and it’s up to educators to rectify this problem. We need to shift our attention to the experience gap, which refers to the idea that many students do not have the ability to develop real-world experiences outside of the bubble of their community.
The community should also have a say; many assistance programs are implemented in communities without asking the community members what they need.
Community input is important, as seen in Youth Empowerment Services, a program created by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. The institute works with the adolescents in struggling communities to help fund initiatives that the community wants. The program has helped students invest in their communities by painting murals, creating community gardens and landscaping an overgrown empty lot. Investing in space while involving students tells the community that their input matters. If parents want to replicate this at home, the curriculum is provided free of charge.