Professional Inquiry Project Proposal: Humans of Crescent Heights

Nicole Losier and Sara Kohandel, The University of Lethbridge

Inquiry Question: How can we connect students and teachers to one another during a
time when physical connectivity is limited?

Introduction
The title of this Professional Inquiry Project is “Humans of Crescent Heights” and it is modelled
after the popular social media collection of images and stories by Brandon Stanton called
“Humans of New York” (HONY). Humans of Crescent Heights acts as a general platform that
allows students and teachers to share positive stories through interviews, as well as a space to
share products such as artwork, poetry, videos, and written pieces. This project aims to enrich the
lives of people at Crescent Heights High School (CHHS) through a model that aligns with goals
and plans put forward by CHHS and the Calgary Board of Education (CBE). The project will
primarily be displayed through the CHHS’ official instagram account, @CrescentCowboys.

Inquiry Process
Interviews will be conducted by the student teachers (Sara Kohandel and Nicole Losier)
at first. As time goes on, the leadership students may also get involved in interviewing
potential features.
Submissions will also be accepted for posts on the page. Students, teachers, and
administrators may share images, photography, artwork, written pieces, and poetry that
represent their stories and selves throughout these times.

Benefits of this Project

This project will create an opportunity for teachers, students, and administrators to connect and
see each other more as “people” in a setting that is typically dominated by academics. This
platform will allow the school community to share stories, experiences, and insights that will
contribute to more thoughtful teaching practices. According to the CBE 3 Year Plan, it is
essential to “continue to develop environments where each student is known and develops a
sense of competence, confidence and belonging as a learner”. The questions that this project will
pose are created in a way that aligns with the school’s initiatives and goals, as well as the CBE’s
3 Year Plan, High School engagement Plan, and Comprehensive School Health Plan. The
responses to these questions will provide the school and its administrators with valuable insight
from the students in regards to goals and initiatives of the school and school board.
This project will contribute immensely to our personal and professional growth journey. The
Alberta Education’s Teaching Quality Standard (TQS) displays six different areas in which
teachers must hold comprehensive knowledge and facilitate career-long growth. This project will
address TQS 1, 4, and 6. Respectively; listening to the stories shared by students, staff, and
administration will contribute to the production of positive relationships in an environment
governed by empathy and care; this project will create an environment in which teachers can
promote diversity, care and respect, thus being given the opportunity to respond to students'
emotional and mental health needs; and finally, the production of Humans of Crescent Heights
must adhere to legal frameworks and policies due to the fact that student pictures and
information may be shared on the school’s official instagram.

Anticipated Impact and Critical Resources

The end product of this project will be a collection of stories, photographs, and “posts” of the
Humans of Crescent Heights. This will include the original posts as well as the comments and
“engagements” that they sparked. More specifically, the anticipated impact of this project will
take place in 2 different ways:
1. Final Report/Summary of interviews relating to the CBE 3 Year Plan, the CBE
High School Engagement Plan, the CHHS Wellness Initiatives and School Goals,
and the Teaching Quality Standards. The Final Report will explain the relevance
of the project to the aforementioned documents. This project will give teachers
and staff information on the student body’s perception of their own learning, the
effectiveness of the school community, as well as their overall achievement and
well-being.
2. Continuation/end-product of this project is a possibility once the student
teachers leave Crescent Heights High School. If leadership students wish to do so,
they may continue on this digital project of storytelling, connecting, and
celebrating individuals at CHHS.

Timeline
Phase Dates Description

1: Promotion Oct. 22 - Nov. 6 Spreading awareness about the project

2: Interview Start-up Nov. 9 - Nov. 20 2 interviews per week

3: Regular Posting Nov. 23 - Dec. 18 Increased posting and student autonomy over
project

4: Long-term Potential Dec 18 - Onward Creation of final report and passing on of

project responsibilities to Leadership