Dane Eckweiler, New Roads School Teacher, stands out front of New Roads School on 7th avenue adjacent to New Roads Drop-In Center for homeless youth.
Looking Glass’ New Roads School Teacher, Dane Eckweiler, who started at the school for homeless youth clients of New Roads drop-in center in January of 2022, has always enjoyed helping people, particularly the challenge of helping youth who require a little more creativity in their academic approach. In early months on the job, Dane is enjoying the flexibility to help the students he works with to learn at their own pace and find subjects that interest them to help spark that passion for learning needed to keep going in the face of so many other life challenges.
New Roads School operates with middle and high school curriculum in collaboration with Eugene 4J and other local school districts with the goal of preparing youth for transition to another educational setting or employment and to provide students with resources and skills to reconnect them to their community. Within those parameters, Dane says the biggest challenge for the students at NRS is attendance and routine (or lack thereof).
“It can be difficult for a student to complete their GED or recover credits when they’re not attending classes regularly,” Dane explained. “But, the strength of New Roads School also lies in this same challenge – required daily attendance is a barrier and legitimate obstacle for some of the youth we serve, many of whom are dealing with finding a safe place to sleep or their next meal. So offering drop in hours and allowing these youth to catch up on school credits in chunks at a time removes that barrier and, for some kids at least, provides a real opportunity for them to advance.”
Dane checks in regularly with the youth who come in to New Roads, asks them if they have interest in any school subjects and/or if they need any help getting their GED. He isn’t pushy about it, but rather provides a constant presence and offer of assistance when they’re ready.
Dane works with a student at New Roads School.
“For any kids, but maybe especially these youth receiving assistance at New Roads, it’s about building rapport and trust, making them comfortable and then finding something they have real interest in,” Dane said. “I really enjoy that – being able to find a subject a youth has interest in and then helping them learn more about it – we can invest our time where it’s most beneficial rather than force it all upon them at one time.”
Dane has fond memories of one of his high school math teachers, who was also his cross country coach, who used to quiz him on trigonometry while on runs and was extremely enthusiastic about math which, in turn, eventually, made Dane enthusiastic about it too.
As Dane interacts with these youth, many of whom are experiencing homelessness, he prods a little to learn more about their situation but it’s a delicate balance and he is glad that the staff across the hall at New Roads is there to assist with basic needs and also that therapy is available on-site.
“New Roads School is a school, of course,” Dane explained. “But beyond graduation or GED, we want them to learn and leave with what will help them most in life.”
Dane’s hope for the curriculum at New Roads School is to see the STEM subjects grow and get students interested in learning by offering things like video game development and show them paths to good paying jobs that can provide a more stable life on their own.
"It was clear during the interview with Dane that he was looking for something a little different when it came to the beginnings of his teaching career,” Said Ben Molin, Looking Glass Education Supervisor. “Dane wanted a place where he could make a true difference in student's lives; students also looking for something a little different in terms their own educational paths. Looking Glass Community Services is lucky and grateful to have Dane come aboard to their education team.”