Research-Practice Partnerships: Stories of Impact
The National Network of Research-Practice Partnerships in Education highlighted the impact of a School of Education and Social Policy initiative as part of its annual look at the work of members.
During a challenging year, the Northwestern-Evanston Education Research Alliance supported a dozen education research partnerships in Evanston. One of them, Learning in Places, focused on helping students and educators reconnect with curiosity and a sense of wonder.
Learning in Places, led by Northwestern faculty Megan Bang, Carrie Tzou, and Shirin Vossoughi, works with students, teachers, and families to design meaningful science learning rooted in the outdoors.
In Evanston’s K–8 school district, the partnership has become a multi-year collaboration with eight schools and 11 educators. The work emphasizes curiosity and community responsibility in science learning, helping students explore local issues and see how they connect to the wider world.
Teachers and researchers work side by side through summer gatherings, ongoing teacher groups, and classroom projects. These experiences help educators develop lessons that use outdoor learning, community knowledge, and connections across subjects like science, social studies, art, and literacy.
Through this work—and related efforts like school gardens and sustainability projects—Learning in Places supports educators and families in building more just and healthy communities, while also helping schools better respond to local and environmental challenges.
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