Braden River Elementary: Building a Shared Vision for High-Quality PBL

Braden River Elementary: Building a Shared Vision for High-Quality PBL

Client: Braden River Elementary School of Innovation, Manatee County Schools, Florida (K-5)
Location: Bradenton, FL
Date: Summer/Fall 2022

The Challenge:

Braden River Elementary, a designated **School of Innovation**, sought to deepen schoolwide implementation of Project Based Learning (PBL). While teachers were already using projects, the leadership team recognized the need for stronger calibration on *quality* PBL practices across all grade levels.

Key priorities included:

• Creating a shared understanding of high-quality PBL.
• Developing one cohesive **school-wide PBL unit** centered on SEL and the school’s “rock path / leaving your mark” theme.
• Helping teachers narrow focus and design a unit that felt integrated and seamless rather than “one more thing” to fit into a short 1-2 week window.

The Solution:

CraftED Curriculum partnered with K-5 Curriculum Coach Courtney Walker and the leadership team to deliver a tailored virtual support package:

• **Virtual PBL Calibration Workshop** (90 minutes) – Delivered to the **entire staff** on August 2, 2022.
• **Summer Planning Workshop** (July 20, 2022) – Focused 60-90 minute workshop with grade-level representatives, followed by team planning time.
• **Pre-work** – Participating teachers completed the PBL Certificate e-course prior to the summer session.
• **Ongoing Project Coaching** – Differentiated support for grade-level teams throughout the school year.

Implementation Highlights

The **PBL Calibration Workshop** (August 2) used a highly interactive virtual agenda featuring:

• “Postcards from the Edge” protocol
• Deep analysis of exemplar PBL models via virtual gallery walk
• Multiple lenses for quality (BIE Gold Standard, NTN, HQPBL, etc.)
• Staff prioritization using Mentimeter to define the top 3 PBL goals for the year
• Closing reflection with Compass Points protocol on Padlet

For the **July 20 Summer Session**, teachers first completed the PBL Certificate e-course. Jenny then led a focused workshop on project planning best practices, with special emphasis on narrowing scope, prioritizing essential elements, and designing an integrated SEL/legacy unit that would fit meaningfully into a short time frame. The remainder of the afternoon was dedicated to grade-level teams refining their implementation plans.

This combination provided both big-picture calibration for the full staff and practical, actionable planning support for the school-wide unit.

The Results:

Braden River Elementary strengthened its identity as a PBL School of Innovation. Teachers left the sessions with:

• A common language and clear vision for quality PBL.
• A well-scoped, cohesive school-wide unit focused on SEL and “leaving your mark.”
• Practical strategies to make PBL feel integrated rather than additive.
• Prioritized goals to guide their work for the year.
• Resources and ongoing coaching support to continue refining practice.

The partnership helped the school move from great ideas to a focused, sustainable implementation plan that honored both PBL quality and classroom realities.

“We were still only thinking you would lead a 60-90 minute workshop then our thought is take what you provided and then rest of that afternoon have teams solidify the plan to implement school wide…”

– Courtney Walker, K-5 Curriculum Coach/Media Specialist

Contact Jenny at jenny@craftedcurriculum.com to explore a custom PBL calibration workshop, summer planning support, or ongoing coaching package.