Learning Tool by Carson

Learning Tool by Carson - January 2023 Scholarship Essay

Students today have multiple subjects like math and English that are required to graduate from high school. While these classes are important, there are other subjects important enough to consider making mandatory to lifelong success and educated living. I believe graduation requirements should include mandatory consciousness electives or classes. I believe learning and practicing consciousness could be the most valuable learning tool we could benefit from in today's world.

Students who learn consciousness have been introduced to thinking of others and not only of themselves, promoting a global approach rather than an individual one. Consciousness instruction could include multiple hands-on projects that keep students off a screen or device, in an attempt to expose them to real world, practical skills. For example, students could be assigned work, as teams, to propose a plan for repairing damaged restrooms at the school. Students could visit the restrooms, list damages or possible improvements they would like to explore. Next, the teams could learn the process for requesting their improvements, exposing them to the costs, time involved and where those resources would come from. Ideally, this would generate understanding and perhaps pride and respect of their school space, while also teaching project planning and proposal, team building, financial awareness and consequences; in other words, consciousness.

The next assignment for required consciousness classes could be outside the school. Students could visit a local police department, or the school's bus garage or maintenance facility to propose the same type of project outlined in the last paragraph. This could expose students to the departments and people whose jobs are to serve them and the rest of their community. Exposing students to their environment and their community may pormote awareness, and hopefully more positive outcomes. This community assignment may expose students to future employment options, serving their communities, that they knew little about before. This could potentially save resources for their community, if the students' proposals were approved, by not having to pay a project manager or someone else (often not living In their community) to design and propose similar solutions. Consciousness classes could give us insight into the communities we will soon be responsible for.

The overall/final exam assignment for required consciousness class could include asking students to suggest a need or act for someone other than themselves. The grading of this assignment would focus more on the students' willingness to consider something for others, not the judgment of their identified need or act. This could be developed in stages throughout the class, beginning with submitting ideas, allowing time for encouragement and feedback, which many students need today. As this idea develops, students can learn and gain confidence preparing requests, researching options, proposing solutions and even writing and presenting their finished work. This could also be a time to teach students to be conscious of each others' work and to show support, regardless of how they feel about other students' ideas. Being conscious of other students' efforts is another positive way to improve their individual environment. Just imagine the ideas and solutions that could be generated by us, the actual students, and the potential positive impacts this could have. Consciousness classes could give us the learning tools to feel that we can actually make positive change.

As young people, we want to be heard and have our ideas considered. Requiring consciousness classes, where our ideas are the focus, allows us to have that voice. Our generation spends more time socializing through technology than hanging out together, so requiring that we work together, in-person, to improve our environment could help us feel less isolated and more invested in our communities. Coming together to problem solve, may help us feel more united as we plan for the future and the world we are creating. In addition, required consciousness classes force us to consider a more global focus and less of an individual one. I feel consciousness classes could conserve resources, while improving our surroundings and creating opportunities for healthy relationships, that could have many positive impacts on our futures and the world we live in. Learning to practice consciousness could be one of the most important learning tools provided to students today.