THE SURGE MODEL

SURGE Columbus helps create open and connected learning opportunities for teens. Through the program, teens can develop their skills in critical thinking, civic engagement, media literacy, media production, and creative expression. With the collaboration of various institutions in Columbus, SURGE is able to hold workshops and events that enable teens to discover and pursue their learning interests outside of school through:

• CONNECTED LEARNING theories as well as the “HOMAGO” (hang out/mess around/geek out) approach to engage teens in interest-driven projects, fostering 21st-century skills that support core curricular goals in the schools.
• A NEW ERA OF PARTNERSHIP among institutions fostering informal “out-of-school” learning and devoted to offering abundant, interesting, and fulfilling programs for area teens, built on shared values and institutional missions.

SURGE re-imagines after-school opportunities for teens in a collaborative rather than competitive context.