Students in the Cheltenham School District will soon get a chance to participate in new, project-based learning program thanks to former public schoolteacher Colin McCarthy, writes Kathy Boccella for Philly.com.

McCarthy learned about the program during his year at Philadelphia Navy Yard when he taught high school seniors from some of Philadelphia’s poorest neighborhoods.

Watching students trade in the traditional desk rows and math drills for a conference table to work on a community-based long term project was a revelation for him.

“I want to be the Johnny Appleseed of project-based learning,” he enthused.

McCarthy now heads a $350,000 foundation-backed program to introduce this innovative approach to Montgomery County’s school district next fall.

The first round will include 66 ninth graders who will spend the first half of their school day working on group projects that last up to two months.

The projects will focus on traditional subject areas that include science, English, and world cultures. At the end of the project, the Cheltenham community hopes to see concrete benefit from the work done by the students.

“It’s really about challenging them to solve a problem — a real-world problem — in the context of the curriculum,” said Wagner Marseille, district superintendent.

Read more about the new program at Philly.com by clicking here.