January 2010 PiE Newsletter
School Campaign ends January 29th!!!
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PiE Funds Engineer a Bright Future
at Gunn
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Last Spring, Principal Noreen Likins,
together with Holmes and the High School Task Force, decided to expand the
types of courses offered to students at all grade levels. "There are
many kids who don't flourish in a typical, what you would call traditional
classroom, that love to have the opportunity to get their hands on things and
learn by doing and creating." After some research, they discovered
Project Lead the Way, an organization that provides a fully developed
curriculum, complete with equipment lists and an intensive two-week
professional training program for teachers. Once they identified the
program, Likins and her team needed to identify funds to pay for it.
Likins turned to PiE for help.
The program fit nicely into two of PiE's three targeted funding areas for the
high school level: Career Technical Education and the Integration of Technology
into the Curriculum. (The third area is College and Career
Counseling.) "The PiE funds are invaluable. We couldn't do it
without them," Likins says. "Getting programs of this kind
started, because they're really capital intensive up front, without assistance
in this particular economic climate would be very hard indeed. And so we
are incredibly grateful for the support."
This first course of the four-year
Project Lead the Way program is Digital Electronics, an entry-level or first
year course, which began in September in a brand new computer lab on campus.
Holmes is very pleased with the lab and with his students' success.
"It's gratifying to see these students coming in not knowing anything
about digital design and leaving with this professional-level knowledge
base. This course really gives them a strong set of skills they can be
proud of." The four-year implementation plan for Project Lead the
Way courses includes the addition of Introduction to Engineering next year (a
second-year or sophomore level course), followed by Aerospace Engineering the
following year (a junior level course), and finally Engineering Research and
Development (a senior level course).
A few challenges remain. With
the introduction of the third and fourth year classes, a new set of 32
computers will be needed for an additional lab, in addition to the basic start
up costs for each new course. Also, Holmes hopes to attract more girls to
the engineering program. Freshman Laura Tao, one of the few girls
enrolled in Digital Electronics, would like to encourage other girls to take
advantage of this experience. "I took a software programming course
over the summer, and I wanted to learn more about how it actually works,"
she explains.
Yu and his teammate Andy Yeh, an 11th
grader, finish their "top secret" presentation and share their
enthusiasm for completing a design that actually works. "When the
light [on the circuit board] goes on...Wow!" Yu says excitedly. Yeh
also appreciates the unique opportunity this course offers him, "I've never
done anything like this," he says. "And Mr. Holmes is great at
helping us troubleshoot." Joel Shaffer, a senior sitting nearby,
offers that this course has been instrumental in helping him decide whether to
focus on science or engineering in college. "It gave me a great
insight into engineering, " he notes, "And I'm having a lot of fun
too!"
Palo
Alto
Partners in Education (PiE) is a non-profit education foundation dedicated to
supporting all Palo Alto
public schools. To make a donation please visit PiE Donations
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Any other information including volunteering opportunities, please call 650.329.3990 or e-mail info@papie.org | |
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PiE Campaign Ends January 29th
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The PiE campaign is coming
to a close on January 29th!
A huge thank you to the 3000+ families
who have already donated.
If you haven't had the chance to contribute
yet, remember that every dollar makes a difference for our
children!
DONATE NOW
THANK YOU!
Donations to PiE are 100% tax deductible.
Our Tax ID is 77-0186364
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| Current Promotions |
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Whole Foods Market Promotion: Whole Foods Market Palo Alto (774 Emerson Street) is proud to support Palo Alto Partners in Education through our Nickels for Non-Profits donation program. Every bag you bring shopping is a nickel more you have to donate. Please bring your reusable bags to the store with you next time you go grocery shopping: you'll be supporting the community and protecting the environment! |
PiE Conducts Search for New Executive Director
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PiE recently launched a search for a new Executive Director
to succeed Muneerah Merchant, the organization's current ED who will leave the
organization at the end of May, 2010 to pursue new professional opportunities. Merchant joined PiE in 2006 as the
foundation's inaugural ED, providing critical leadership and experience to PiE
soon after its inception in 2005.
"We have been so fortunate to have a professional of
Muneerah Merchant's caliber with us for four years. Our growth and success to date would not have
been possible without her talent and dedication. We appreciate that Muneerah has provided us
with ample time to find a worthy successor and to ensure a smooth transition."
says Lois Garland, PiE Board President.
Garland is confident about the future of PiE: "We expect
that PiE will continue to grow and evolve to meet our schools' needs. We look forward to hiring a new Executive
Director who will work with our committed team of volunteers to build upon the
strong foundation that Muneerah helped establish."
Anyone interested in applying for the Executive Director
position can visit the PiE website: PiE Website
, or contact Melinda Christopherson, chair of PiE's ED search committee. The application deadline is January 29, 2010.
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