“We wanted to increase rigor and our students’ academic abilities, so I thought [deeper learning] would make sense for our school setting.”
That’s Jennie Canning, lead STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) teacher at Pittsburgh Brashear High School, explaining why she and Brashear’s principal, Kimberly Safran, reached out to the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) to help rethink their approach to instruction.
In this week’s Deeper Learning Digest learn how All4Ed provided direct technical assistance to teacher leaders at Brashear on implementing strategies that support deeper learning.
Elsewhere in this week’s Digest, what happens when schools are linked together in networks that share models, tools, and professional learning experiences? Expanded access to deeper learning experiences for more students.
This week’s Digest also explores dynamic math instruction and how to make project-based learning stick through professional development. And if you want to learn more about how adolescents’ tick, do we have a resource for you.
Deepening Students’ Learning at Pittsburgh Brashear High School
After the Pennsylvania Department of Education identified Pittsburgh Brashear High School as a priority school for improvement, the school’s educators began to rethink their approach to instruction.
Teacher leaders wanted to identify promising practices that would improve engagement for the school’s 1,230 students, most of whom are African American or come from low-income families. They also were looking for ways to increase academic rigor and promote cross-curricular instruction to enable all students to achieve academic excellence. So what did they do and which tools and resources did they use?
After the Pennsylvania Department of Education identified Pittsburgh Brashear High School as a priority school for improvement, the school’s educators began to rethink their approach to instruction. Teacher leaders wanted to identify promising practices that would improve engagement for the school’s 1,230 students, most of whom are African American or come from low-income families. They also were looking for ways to increase academic rigor and promote cross-curricular instruction to enable all students to achieve academic excellence. So what did they do?
Specifically, the educators wanted guidance on how best to nurture students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills and abilities to collaborate, communicate effectively, and direct their own learning—a set of skills collectively known as deeper learning competencies. So, in 2017, the leadership team from the school’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) Academy contacted the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) for direct technical assistance on implementing strategies that support deeper learning.
The Rosie’s Girls Summer Camp made its annual trip to the Chevron Richmond Refinery on Thursday, where members typically tour the facility and participate in a career panel.
But this year, the local middle-school girls did not act as tourists – but rather scientists.
Led by Chevron Bay Area Executive Women’s Group, Women’s in Progress, which regularly holds events aimed at inspiring and mentoring local girls interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), over 30 girls from the Rosie’s Girls summer camp conducted a daylong experiment in learning how to make bio-fuels.
Rosie’s Girls is an annual summer camp offered for free to local youth from low-income families. Like the WWII-era Rosie the Riveters, students in the camp learn skills and career pathways that are considered nontraditional for women, such as welding and carpentry.
At the Richmond Refinery Thursday, their skill base and experience was expanded to include STEM fields.
“We began earlier this morning by talking about what energy is, how one makes bio-fuel, and why we are interested in bio-fuels,” said Stacy Moffitt, community engagement specialist with Chevron Richmond.
They then conducted a related experiment using water bottles, each containing a different combination of substances – water, yeast, milk powder and a lactase tablet – as an introduction into how biofuels are made.
“They’re basically looking at fermentation and seeing what’s happening,” Moffitt said. “Even though milk has sugar, yeast can’t convert that sugar without the lactase tablet, which is a catalyst. Which is what you typically need when you use plant-based material to convert to fuel.”
The students conducted experiments in groups, with each group advised by women who work for Chevron. During the experiment, they made regular observations, and at the end of the day presented their findings to the group. Throughout the experience, the volunteer employees mentor the girls, talk about their futures and offer advice, Moffitt said.
“Rosie’s Girls give girls a wonderful summer opportunity to be ‘hands on’ with lots of cool things,” said Barbara Smith, VP of products and technology or Chevron Oronite. “It was fun today to do science with them, and at the same time talk about their interests and aspirations – and how STEM and college can give them so many great options for the future.”
The Executive Women’s Group has also worked with the Richmond nonprofit Girls Inc. of West Contra Costa County. Last year, the women volunteered to collaborate on technical and leadership projects with 16 of the nonprofit’s young members at the state-of-the-art Fabrication Laboratory at Kennedy High, which was launched with funding by Chevron.
More than 30 girls from the Rosie’s Girls summer camp conducted a daylong experiment at Chevron Richmond Refinery to learn how to make bio-fuels.
COMPTON — As a foster kid growing up in Compton, Google software engineer Anthony D. Mays felt awkward in social settings, sometimes not believing that he could be an achiever.
Today, after overcoming personal challenges, Mays is encouraging young people that they can be all that they believe they can be.
Mays represented Google at the Compton Unified School District second annual STEAMFest, and found more than a handful of students seeking his advice. A crowd estimated at 8,000 people filled the Dollarhide Community Center for a few hours as they took in the latest technology from the likes of Apple, Boeing, Cemex, Carrot Group, Hacker Fund, Google, Charles Drew University, and other vendors.
Mays said he was more than happy to share what he has learned with students.
“I’m telling the kids that they have an opportunity unlike any other,” Mays said. “They can learn coding, they can learn engineering. They can learn science, medicine and math and apply their art skills. They can do all that stuff.
“They have the tools. They just have to use them and be willing to work hard. If I can spark inspiration in that regard, then I would love to,” he added.
There was a time that Mays didn’t feel he could be successful in anything. It wasn’t until his foster parents went out and bought him a computer that he figured out he could make something of himself.
Mays, who brought that computer to the STEAMFest event, learned to code off that technological instrument. He would later hone his coding skills from mentors that took him under their wings in middle and high school.
That proved to be the foundation Mays needed to jump headfirst into the technology field. That discovery certainly boosted his self-confidence.
“I didn’t feel like I was the smartest growing up,” Mays said. “I didn’t feel like I was the most capable. I struggled. I felt like I was an imposter every time when I went to college and all this other kind of things.
“I know that I may run into kids that are foster kids or going through the process of losing their family or during abuse or whatever that is. I’ve been through those things. So I want to be able to share with the students, ‘Hey, I’ve been there and done this. You can do the same thing. You can do it even better than me. You can go out and start your own business.’”
Part of the showcase at STEAMfest was featuring the art, robotics, science and the technology innovation of Compton students that highlighted photography, artwork and astute craftsmanship.
“It’s an opportunity to showcase what’s going on in Compton Unified School District and to show that parents and the students that the turnaround is real,” Superintendent Darin Brawley said. “It’s really an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, this is the new Compton. These are the things that are happening. Your kids can be exposed to robotics, coding, arts, performing arts, you name it. The sky is the limit in Compton.”
More than 100 students at the 43rd Annual Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) Conference in Birmingham on Friday created their own city where technology is paramount and littering and cyberbullying are not tolerated.
The City of Diversity – with the slogan, “Where Everybody Counts and YOU Matter” – was a “tech city” and it even came with an election season to give students a taste of politics.
Birmingham is hosting the 43rd Annual Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) Conference. The four-day event, which ends May 26, features a series of panels, workshops, and collaborative events that encourage networking, camaraderie, and idea-sharing. The theme for 2018 is “Building Tomorrow’s Community Today.”
Creating a city during the youth conference was a lot harder than imagined, said Annissa Owens, a rising junior at Shades Valley High School.
“You have to find neighborhood presidents, city councils, a mayor; you have to find transportation, how to get around,” she said.
However, Owens, 15, said she is grateful for the experience which included her role of getting people out to vote.
“[Citizens] have to get the law they want to be passed, and to do that, they have to vote for whoever they want to be mayor,” she said. “I think my part is important because if you want your voice to be heard you should go vote. So, you can’t get mad when the change you wanted didn’t happen if you don’t vote.”
DeRenn Hollman, 13, who will attend Ramsay High School in the fall, was a mayoral candidate and said his goal was to “make the city more comfortable and like easier for people.”
“I want more technology, and you won’t have to work as hard for things,” he said. “It’s a tech-heavy city, so it’s easy, but the easiest thing to do is to participate in the things the city has going on.”
Running for elected office wasn’t as easy he thought.
“Campaigning is hard because you have another candidate who is just as qualified as you,” he said. “But you also have a team behind you and people who support you and believe in you. It’s still hard to go up there and speak in front of people though.”
The candidates had two major campaign issues: cyberbullying and littering.
“You’re either for littering to be a crime or against littering to be a crime,” Owens said. “You’re either for social media to end because of cyberbullying or you’re against social media to end because of cyberbullying.”
Hollman said, “as a mayor I want some cyberbullying to stop, but I don’t think social media should have to end because of it. Social media is fun but use it responsibly.”
Campaigning taught the students some valuable lessons.
“You still have to go through a lot of different people (such as the legislative branch) and if they don’t like it, they cannot go through with it,” Hollman said. “You can’t just say ‘littering is a crime’; you have to send it to your council to approve it. If they don’t like the law they can vote against it.”
Owens said he now sees some things differently.
“Some things are not as easy as it sounds,” she said. “Like getting extra transportation is not as easy as I thought it was. Like getting a new bus. You have to go through voting and funding to get those new things.”
Danny Brister, operations manager for the City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office Division of Youth Services and co-chair for the NUSA Youth Conference, said the message for students was simple.
“We told them that we need their impact, their intelligence, we need them to engage,” Brister said. “At the age of 18 a young person can serve as neighborhood president. That’s important for them to know. As early as 16 they can vote in their neighborhood elections. We hope they gain an understanding that it takes a lot of work. We hope they leave inspired to make a change.”
Birmingham is hosting the 43rd Annual Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) Conference. The four-day event, which ends May 26, features a series of panels, workshops, and collaborative events that encourage networking, camaraderie, and idea-sharing. The theme for 2018 is “Building Tomorrow’s Community Today.”
By Rajoielle Register
(Head of Brand Strategy and Growth Audience Marketing, Ford Motor Company)
We’re all familiar with the popular proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” As a 21st century society, this still holds true, literally and figuratively. For non-millennials, who grew up in a vastly different era, there is a nostalgic mindset that a diverse community of inspiring people interacting with children has a positive and sustained life-changing impact on their development. By no means should this mean the village is responsible for raising your children, but we all have a stake in their development and success.
Rajoielle “Raj” Register says that In order to awaken dreams and inspire the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers and leaders, it’s imperative to expose children to STEAM at an early age. (Ford Motor Company)
Early exposure to career choices are often the first step in the “What do I want to be when I grow up?” conversation. Although definitive decisions won’t be made for years to come, dreams and thoughts about future careers begin early. Whether policeman, fireman, truck driver, doctor, dentist, teacher, musician, sports star, and/or whatever it is their parents and relatives do, most children are passively aware and relate to the limited pool of occupations to which they are exposed.
While teachers offer an impressionable climate for first-hand learnings and experiences, parents provide the most important impact and stimulus on a child’s early life. Early exposure to non-traditional learning environments not only creates a generation of new dreamers and thought leaders, but also provides them with an eye-opening and novel perspective on the limitless opportunities that is their future.
From elementary to middle school, efforts to prepare students for college and beyond are taking hold earlier than ever as a childhood surrounded by books, scholastic support and diverse role models leave permanent impressions on a young person’s mind well into their late teens. That’s why early exposure to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) fields are especially important.
Reflected in its legacy history, American industry was built on innovation. To awaken dreams and inspire the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers and leaders, it’s imperative to expose children to STEAM at an early age. If engaged, receptive and they’ve developed an interest by eighth grade, they’re three times more likely to pursue careers in STEAM fields later in life.
STEAM careers are at the forefront of some of the fastest-growing industries. Conversely, they also have some of the largest gender gaps as women comprise only 26 percent of all science, tech, engineering and mathematics jobs. As they continue to grow, women are getting left behind.
Many young girls are turning away from STEAM careers during their developmental years and have completely opted out by high school. That must change and we, the village (with torches in hand), must step up to lead, advocate and champion that change.
For over three decades, the Ford Motor Company has been committed to supporting innovative initiatives that encourage and inspire young people to pursue and succeed in STEAM fields—a career path many, if not most, of today’s youth (especially African American youth) believe are out of reach for them.
Both within and outside the village, this is an important conversation that we must have as the future of our children is at stake. In addition to sponsorships, scholarships and aligning with synergy partners such as the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Ford has demonstrated its commitment in a hands-on way, connecting with and supporting a host of STEM and STEAM focused initiatives including Girls Who Code, Tech Sassy Girlz, STEMinista project, Destination Imagination, School Retool, Michigan Technological University, Amphi Middle School’s Girl Power in Science & Engineering, FIRST® Robotics and #WomenInSTEAM, among others.
Here in the U.S. and around the world, women are severely underrepresented in STEAM fields—career fields that are expected to grow more than 9 million jobs by 2022. No surprise, both women and men are needed to fill those jobs and we, individually and collectively, must do our part to begin to narrow the gap, especially among African American youth.
For African American communities, integrating young women in science and technology begins with planting the seed at an early age, nurturing that seed to show the impossible is possible and, cultivating girls to become a part of those fields. Ever shifting, the formative and impressionable years between teen and young adult are a principal cause for why young girls are looking away from STEAM.
Ford remains committed to inspiring young people to seek knowledge, be curious, solve problems and—like Henry Ford himself—make their dreams of a better world come true.
Whether parent, educator, leader, STEAM alum, or just someone who cares about the village and its children, you can play a role in supporting an up-and-coming generation of young girls interested and desirous to pursue a career in STEAM.
Let’s unite as one to stimulate, inspire and change a life. At the end of the day, we’re all stakeholders in the future and success of our children.
Rajoielle “Raj” Register leads cross brand strategy and growth audience marketing at Ford Motor Company. A proud STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) graduate, Raj embraces her education advocacy and is especially passionate about advancing impactful educational initiatives as highlighted by her oversight of visionary community programs that support HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and STEAM.
Affirming its commitment to education in minority communities and careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM), the Ford Motor Company recently presented $20,000 in scholarships to four deserving young girls at the “Tea & Bytes” annual fundraising event benefiting Tech Sassy Girlz, an Orlando-based nonprofit that provides minority girls, grades 6–12, with exposure and access to STEAM fields through college preparation, career readiness, mentoring and hands-on learning experiences.
Jenisse Rios of Colonial High School; Naia Butler of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University; Jianna Best of Cypress Creek High School; and Samela Pynas of Oak Ridge High School each received $5,000.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 203,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
On Saturday, May 12, 2018, the Pasadena Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is sponsoring its 30th Annual Fashionetta Salute to Mothers and Scholarship Luncheon & Fashion Show at the Glendale Hilton from 10 AM – 3 PM. This annual fundraising event will award 10 Scholarships and 5 Book Awards to college bound students from the Pasadena/ Altadena/ San Gabriel Valley area.
The Pasadena Chapter of AKA recently hosted a State of Black Pasadena Community Meeting that highlighted the importance of education in lifelong success. While the importance of an education only continues to be more important, the ability to attain this education is becoming harder. According to the College Board’s “Trends in College Pricing 2017” report, the cost of public school tuition has increased by 213% ($3190 in 1987-1988 to $9970 in 2017-2018). Per the same source, the cost of tuition at a private nonprofit was $15,160 in the 1987-1988 school year, but is now $34,740 in the 2017-2018 school year for an increase of 129%.
At the same time tuition has been increasing, the cost of room and board continues to increase along with the cost of books where a student could easily spend $400 on a single text book. The increase in the cost of textbooks has lead savvy students to take advantage of the opportunity to rent their books and/or leverage a $2500 IRS textbook tax credit.
In order to help college bound students handle these rising costs, the Pasadena Chapter of AKA has awarded scholarships to college bound students since it was chartered in 1960. They are proud to highlight that through the years they have awarded over $250,000 in Scholarships and Book Awards. Students have used these monies to help offset costs so they can attain a much needed education that puts them on the road to lifelong success.
Scholarships will be awarded in the areas of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math), Social Justice/ Economic Development, Special Needs, Most Improved GPA and Young African American Male. Each of the awardees is impressive and come from schools in the San Gabriel Valley. If you want your heart to be fi lled with joy as you hear the amazing stories of our young adults, come out to the 30th Annual Fashionetta Scholarship and Salute to Mothers Luncheon.
You can become a Scholarship Patron and directly increase the amount of the awards that will be given to the 2018 recipients by donating $250 or more. We will give you special recognition at the event, in our Souvenir Journal and on our website. You can make your donation at ‘thepaif. org’. Please call 626.475.7710 with any questions on becoming a Scholarship Patron.
If you cannot join us at Fashionetta, but want to make a difference that is less than becoming a Scholarship Patron, you can go to ‘thepaif.org’ to make a tax deductible donation. Designate it for Scholarship and the monies will make a direct difference in the amount awarded to this year’s scholarship winners.
During Fashionetta, we will also honor the Mother of the Year, have unique vendors available for shopping, enjoy a beautiful luncheon and a Fashion Show. If you want to attend Fashionetta and support our youth, you can go to ‘thepaif.org’ to purchase a ticket. Your support is needed and appreciated. Let’s make a difference together.
The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to offer a highly interactive Children’s Theatre performance at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center from 10:00-11:00am on Thursday, April 12, 2018. Savannah based theatre group The Story Ship will present The Great Pirate Race, a math-based “game show.” The program is best suited for grades pre-K to 6. Schools, daycares, community groups, families, and individuals are welcome to attend. Tickets are $2 per child with accompanying adults admitted at no charge. Parking is free.
The Great Pirate Race, a math-based “game show” hosted by a live pirate, the audience is split into two teams to race against each other to get the treasure. The game show offers audience members more than 60 opportunities to participate. A board game is projected onto a large screen. Team members complete onstage challenges that include solving math problems, puzzles, assisting with magic tricks, and group comedy challenges. Audiences will take to the high seas in this interactive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) education show.
The Story Ship formed in 1999 to bring their unique combination of interactive animation, music, storytelling, theatre, comedy, and magic to children of all ages. Based in Savannah, Georgia, they have performed in theatres, schools, libraries, resorts, afterschool programs, and festivals throughout the country, and reach thousands of children and adults each year. Founder Sean Driscoll has been a professional performer since age 15. He has been selected as an artist in residence for programs throughout Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Information about all of Story Ship’s interactive shows, including production videos, photos, study guides, and more is available online at
The North Charleston Performing Arts Center is located at 5001 Coliseum Drive, North Charleston, SC 29418. Groups of 10 or more are asked to reserve space in advance. Seats fill up quickly, so reserve early by calling the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department office at 843.740.5854. For reservation forms, directions, or information on additional programs and events, visit the Arts & Culture section of the city’s website, www.northcharleston.org.
LOS ANGELES — Not all schools in Los Angeles are created equal.
Raymond Ealy noticed that was true when it came to low-income, underrepresented students learning about science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). So he decided to change that.
In July 2014, Ealy launched STEAM:Coders in Pasadena to provide STEAM learning opportunities for kindergarten to 12th-grade students with limited access to technology.
“We work with students in Inglewood, South L.A., Long Beach, Pasadena and others … and we collaborate with colleges and school districts … with a focus on Title 1 schools,” said Ealy, founder and executive director of the nonprofit.
Since its inception, the organization has served more than 3,000 students in its after-school, weekend and weekly summer-camp classes teaching them skills they can apply to any field they choose to go into.
“We teach students logic, critical thinking and problem solving,” Ealy said. “We have to build a pipeline for students to not only get them ready for [STEAM] fields, but to give them the opportunity to see those areas.”
Its numerous partnerships with corporate, academic and nonprofit entities has allowed STEAM:Coders’ students to visit places where they can see technology in action and get involved. Field trips include locations like Google L.A., the California Science Center, Art Center College of Design, Apple, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology.
These field trips are a way for underserved students to see that with the right skills, they can find a place for themselves in those places, Ealy said.
“When we take kids to Caltech, many of them have never been to a college campus before,” he said. “And many of their parents have never been to a college campus, either. So when we take them to a university, it plants a seed that they can go to college too, and hopefully inspires them to attend.”
Raymond Ealy
But before students get to college, the nonprofit tries to implant a different seed in them: the seed of imagination.
Many Title 1 schools don’t have a computer science curriculum, let alone a computer lab, Ealy said. Many of the same schools, he continued, no longer offer students art or music classes, which restricts their imaginations.
So STEAM:Coders tries to remedy that disadvantage by equipping them with “tools, training, teaching and coaching to get them exposed” to both the arts and classes that teach them subjects like computer science.
Offering introductory, intermediate and advanced STEAM courses, students are taught hands-on by staff and volunteers, many who are college students or professionals who teach the weekend classes.
Among the classes being taught this year are “Building Apps and Games using JavaScript” for fourth to eighth-grade students and an “Introduction to Coding” for students from second to fifth grade.
With these opportunities, Ealy believes that kids are learning invaluable skills and getting the hard-core support they need to rise above their circumstances.
And sometimes that support manifests itself into the form of a laptop. Made possible by its partnership with Warner Brothers, the nonprofit recently gave away more than 40 laptops to students. Getting equipment like that into the hands of kids who need it most was a very proud moment for the organization.
As for the next several years, Ealy hopes to support more students in places outside of California.
“We know there’s lots of talent out there, students just need the opportunity to show it,” he said.
By Ariel Worthy
