Who says writing assignments have to be boring? This semester, Engage Estero teamed up with Professor Barbara Wright’s composition class at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) for a collaboration that brought local history and environmental awareness to life—and the results have been fantastic!
A Syllabus with a Purpose : Professor Wright designed a unique syllabus encouraging her students to dig deep into their local surroundings. The mission: To research and write compelling articles about
- the history of Estero,
- the vital significance of the Estero Estuary.
- The Estero River.
- Plus other topics of significance to our community’.
The students rose to the challenge. Throughout the semester, nineteen students crafted eleven insightful papers specifically for Engage Estero’s website, EsteroToday.com. If you’ve been following the site, you might have already read some of their work—six papers are already live, with the rest hitting the digital press shortly!
Celebrating Student Success On December 2nd, Engage Estero’s own Mike Wasson and Terry Flanagan paid a special visit to Professor Wright’s classroom to celebrate the students’ hard work. It wasn’t just a “thank you”—every student received a Certificate of Appreciation and a small gift to mark their contribution to the community.
During the visit, the classroom buzzed with reflection. One student, an aspiring sports journalist, shared that the project was a game-changer for learning how to truly communicate with an audience. Another student, originally from out of town, mentioned how the assignment helped them feel more connected to Estero by learning its history.
The Inside Scoop Of course, no class is complete without a few war stories. When asked about Professor Wright’s biggest “pet peeve” during the writing process, the class answered in unison: She forced us to stop using the first person! (A tough habit to break, but clearly, it paid off in professional-quality writing!)
A Win-Win-Win This collaboration was the definition of a success story. Engage Estero received incredible, fresh content to share with you; the students found a real-world purpose for their assignments; and Professor Wright got to see her students fully engaged.
We look forward to sharing the rest of these student articles with you soon. Keep an eye on EsteroToday.com!
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Written by
Terry Flanagan
Vice President of Administration
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At Engage Estero, we believe in the power of community. As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical, nonprofit, we conduct evidence-based research to provide unbiased information about local issues, helping you improve your quality of life.