Real Word Learning: Providing Safety through Translation

About the project

Students in Stephanie Wixon's Spanish world language classroom at Shawnee Mission North applied their Real World Learning, language, and Portrait of a Graduate skills to help address safety issues in the construction industry through a client-connected project with JE Dunn. They stepped into the role of consultant and worked to create resources that could improve jobsite safety and communication, especially for those who speak different languages.

Project activities

• Met with representatives from JE Dunn to identify barriers, safety guidelines, and project goals
• Conducted research, analyzed data, and consulted with industry professionals to brainstorm potential solutions
• Presented their solutions to members of JE Dunn's safety team
• Worked in teams throughout the project, assigning each member to a role including project manager, communication coordinator, and vision leader

Student solutions

• Modern walkie talkies with a translation app
• Earbuds with AI voice assistance
• Color-coded prototype badge

Student outcomes

Brittney Betancourt, senior, said the project helped her and her classmates build their skills as Effective Collaborators. "I think we truly learned how to talk with one another, how to communicate, and I believe we finished strong," Betancourt shared. "Projects like these help students visualize what they can do in the future and it's an opportunity many high school students do not get."

Teacher perspective

Wixon said she has multiple goals for her students during these projects: "I want them to gain empathy and cultural understanding. In each client-connected project we do, we try to understand what day-to-day life might be like for community members who do not speak English as their primary language. My hope is that students will take that perspective and understanding into whatever profession they go into."

Wixon said she was impressed by the solutions students came up with, especially as they improved their projects based on client feedback. "At the start of this project, some students struggled to resolve an open-ended problem. Most groups had to go through multiple revisions and changes to their original ideas. In the end, however, each group put forward a presentation they were proud of."