BLACKFOOT — Devin Larsen believes in the benefits students receive through the project-based teaching structure that is an emphasis of the curriculum at the Idaho Science and Technology Charter School, where he has been principal for the past eight years.

“I think the biggest thing students get from project-based learning is (that) it gives them authentic experiences,” Larsen said. “They get to be collaborative with it, and teaching collaborative skills is one of our goals.”

The school has the familiar core classes, math, English, regular science classes, but in the elective realm, especially at the middle school level, the project-based classes play a large role. Students have some project-based classes they are required to take and some that they can choose to take, similar to any elective class.

One of those required classes is their “we the people” course, which, as it might lead you to believe, is about the U.S. Constitution. Larsen explained that it’s a government class that focuses on the U.S. Constitution, and during the class, the students are divided into different teams to study specific aspects of the U.S. Constitution.

“They all study in each area, but then each team specializes in one area, researches it and then writes a research paper about it,” he said. “Part of the class is for each team to then give a presentation.”

But that presentation isn’t just for their fellow students. The Idaho Science and Technology Charter School enters those student teams into a competition hosted in Boise each year, where they compete against other schools.

The competition was held in Boise on Feb. 13, and during the two days they were there, the students also toured the Idaho state Capitol and visited a couple of other historic museums. Larsen said one of the teams from his school won the competition.

“Each year, the students are very prepared and put a lot of time and effort into it,” he said.

He attributes the success of the program to Amanda Stewart, who teaches the class. He said Stewart goes above and beyond to make the project a success each year.

“She organizes and orchestrates the whole trip,” Larsen said. “She puts in a lot of time in helping the students understand the material and making sure they will be successful and have a good experience when they go.”

It’s more than just knowing the U.S. Constitution and what each part of it means. Each team, during the competition, is questioned by a group of judges. Their questions typically require the students to show their understanding of the document in terms of what is going on in the world today.

“It’s about trying to apply the principles of the (U.S.) Constitution to modern-day situations,” Larsen said.

The Idaho Science and Technology Charter School opened in 2009 and has about 300 students. Although a lot of the project-based learning is mostly applicable to the middle school level, some of it filters into the elementary school as well. The school has evolved a bit since its inception, and many of its current programs have been developed during the past 10 years.

“I think we are in a good spot right now,” Larsen said. “We are doing some good things for the kids in Blackfoot.”

For more information on the Idaho Science and Technology Charter School, located at 21 N. 550 W. in Blackfoot, visit its website at www.idahoscience.com.