Inclusive Art & Writing at Panama-Buena Vista School District

Challenge

In the Panama-Buena Vista School District (PBVSD), a paramount challenge emerged – the need for a program that could cultivate an inclusive learning environment where every student thrived. Additionally, PBSD sought a solution to nurture students' creative talents, particularly in the realms of art and writing.

Solution

QUEST Camp addressed these challenges, aligning perfectly with PBVSD's vision for their summer programming. QUEST Camp’s Play, Connect, Create opened opportunities for all students, allowing them to collaborate, communicate, and learn together effectively. Through its immersive gameplay and development of social-emotional skills, QUEST Camp fostered future-ready skills transferable across the school year.

With the addition of QUEST Creators, students found ample space to nurture their creative abilities in visual arts and writing. Students were empowered to express themselves through storytelling and artistic endeavors, fueling their imaginative thinking.

QUEST at PBVSD succeeded in creating an inclusive and vibrant learning environment where students not only excelled academically but also blossomed creatively. It exemplified the power of an educational program that embraces the whole child, fostering skills and talents beyond the conventional classroom setting.

Results

• 100% of all students reported feeling pride in the artwork and writing they collaborated to produce while implementing Creators.
• 92% of students found value in the ideas and skills of all team members. 
• 88% of students felt their team kept trying, even when working through difficult challenges.
• 80% of facilitators saw an increase in students developing friendships.
• 80% of facilitators saw an increase in Collaboration and Critical Thinking skills.
• 79% of students said they developed skills in cooperation & compromise while playing QUEST. 

Quotes

“It’s very fun to do with people, and it teaches you how to cooperate.” -Student

“What surprised me as I watched students problem-solve was just seeing them be kind and gentle with their classmates, and really just hear their other classmates’ opinions on how they should really solve the problem…” –QUEST Facilitator

“The amount of collaboration and communication going on in the group is something we don’t always see in the classroom.” –Admin

“I think QUEST does a good job of supporting English learners because of the collaborative element, and then the visual element within the curriculum itself and the videos provide those visual supports that students need.” –Admin

“I really like working as a group because we get to work together to solve these problems, and everyone has these different skills they can use.” –Student

“A lot of their confidence has improved during gameplay. Those that came in thinking they couldn’t do it have gotten a lot more confident in what they’re capable of.” –QUEST Facilitator

“QUEST does a good job of including all students. The teacher supports, the visual aspects, the collaboration…it just provides a friendly and safe environment.” –Admin

“There was more helping each other than regular school and there was lots of challenging stuff but we did not give up.” –Student

“I enjoyed watching the team gs work out the challenges and cheer each other on. I liked that they didn’t give up and continued even when it was hard.” –QUEST Facilitator