The Weilenmann School of Discovery is a tuition-free K-8 charter school in Park City. Middle School Dean Scott Stewart said it’s a liberal arts school that incorporates technology and project-based learning into its curriculum.
The school year starts Wednesday, Aug. 20, for students, and Stewart said enrollment is in good shape. However, he said enrollment is down across the state.
To attract more students, Weilenmann is launching two new initiatives this school year.
First, Weilenmann is one of 24 Utah schools chosen to work with the Utah State Board of Education on its artificial intelligence initiative. Stewart said the three-year partnership focuses on incorporating AI to improve academic performance.
The partnership is meant to help teachers use AI to their advantage.
“It's actually becoming aware of the best educational tools for teachers to help them be more proficient in their classrooms and be able to meet individual student needs, and then expanding that to helping the students learn how to effectively use the tools,” Stewart said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Aug. 8.
The second is a partnership with Challenge Success, a nonprofit affiliated with the Stanford University Graduate School of Education. Weilenmann received a grant from the Utah State Charter School Board to partner with the organization for two years.
“Their whole focus is to bring families, students and teachers together and increase engagement and belonging and kind of a sense of community in the school,” Stewart said.
Also new this year is a state law passed in February prohibiting students from using cellphones and other technology during classroom hours. The law allows districts to craft policies that are specific to the needs of individual schools.
Stewart said Weilenmann implemented a cellphone policy before the state mandate. It bans cellphones during class time. He said if students do use phones during class, they are confiscated and a parent or guardian must pick the device up at the end of school.
To celebrate the start of the school year, Weilenmann will host a back-to-school bash at Woodward Park City. The event is Saturday, Aug. 16 from 5-8 p.m.
Everyone is welcome and proceeds from the $25 tickets support Weilenmann’s educational programs.
