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HTHL Internship and College Advising Institute HTH and HTHI Annual MANPOWER Academic Internship Showcase
October 15, 2005
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HTHL Network NewsIssue #8, December 2004/January 2005
1. HTH-LA Hosts Opening Celebration 
On Wednesday, November 17, 2004, High Tech High Los
Angeles celebrated the opening of their dynamic new
building on the campus of Birmingham High School in
Van Nuys, CA. HTH-LA founder Roberta Weintraub
presided over the event, which drew well over 400 parents,
students, and community leaders. The ceremony
included comments and tributes from HTH-LA Principal
Marsha Rybin, Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn, state
schools chief Jack O'Connell, LAUSD Superintendent
Roy Romer, and several HTH-LA students. Lowell
Milken, Birmingham alumnus and philanthropist, also
addressed the group, saying he couldn't decline when
Weintraub approached him with her idea for the school
nearly four years ago. His foundation, the largest single donor, gave
$1.5 million to the school,
now officially called Lowell Milken Family Foundation High Tech High-Los
Angeles.Weintraub, an education activist and former LAUSD school board president, called HTH-LA her dream school and spoke of how she initially conceived of the program as a place where minority and low-income students would have access to a rigorous college-prep and projectbased curriculum in a state-of-the-art building. After visiting the High Tech High (HTH) facility in San Diego, CA, Weintraub and her board decided to base the school's building and academic program on the HTH design principles. The school became one of the first HTH replication sites, opening in temporary quarters for its first two years of operation. The new HTH-LA facility occupies two completely renovated "shop" buildings on the periphery of the Birmingham campus. A double-height "bridge" building joins the two spaces and creates an open and light-filled commons area that connects the two classroom wings. The building plan also includes projects rooms, a great room, a conference center, an outdoor eating court, and a shaded outdoor classroom. The Los Angeles architectural firm of Berliner and Associates designed the 27,500 square foot building in collaboration with HTH Design Director David Stephen. Funded both publicly and privately, the construction budget for the campus was $13 million, including approximately $2 million of technology equipment. Weintraub received $3 million in Qualified Zone Academy (QZAB) Bonds for the renovation portion of the project. HTH-LA was also one of five schools to receive a $2 million grant from the California Department of Education. HTH-LA is a "green" school that meets and exceeds the High Performance Schools standards set by the California Energy Commission. The structure and design of HTH-LA's buildings serves as a teaching tool for the HTH-LA community. Using highly efficient mechanical, lighting, electrical, and energy conservation systems, the school buildings are a hands-on, demonstration laboratory for students studying basic physics, engineering, and environmental design. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power donated photovoltaic panels on the roof of the commons building, and the mechanical and lighting systems are centrally monitored and controlled. The systems respond and adjust to the changing environment throughout the day. All data on energy-use and conservation is available for student analysis through the school computer network. 2. High Tech High Learning Hosts Two-Day Institute 
On December 2 and 3, High Tech High Learning hosted
a small, enthusiastic group of colleagues from the HTHL
network of schools, the Connecting Schools and
Communities (CSAC) network in Washington, and San
Diego Unified School District for its Third Annual
College Advising and Academic Internship Institute. The
two days included workshops from Chris White, the
Director of College Advising at High Tech High, Rebecca
Haddock, HTH's Regional Director of Communications
& Outreach, and Jesse Wade, HTH teacher and coordinator
of the school's advisory study group. They offered
workshops on college advising, developing an internship
program, and using advisory to support both internships
and college advising. Participants also met with panels of High Tech High
seniors regarding the
college application process and HTH juniors about their internships. Stacey
Praizner, Director
of Academic Internships, moderated a discussion with industry mentors,
and Rob Riordan of
HTHL led a discussion with two HTH 11th grade teachers about connecting
academics with the
internships. The highlight of the institute was the MANPOWER Academic
Internship
Showcase at High Tech High on the evening of December 2nd, where about
50 current HTH
interns exhibited their projects. The visitors had ample opportunity to
talk with the interns and
interact with mentors, parents, and High Tech High staff.In a debriefing session, a member of the CSAC partnership in Washington said, "I found it helpful and insightful and I have some great strategies to take back to my site." In particular, participants remarked on the connections between features of HTH practice such as Presentations of Learning and Senior Projects and how these fit with aspects such as the school's "college-going culture" and the students' ability to articulate their learning. As Rob Riordan noted, "Each design principle is only as strong as its connection to the other two. For example, internships are an integral part of Adult World Connection, but they don't work without personalization, and they are part of our common intellectual mission, since they are required of all students. The pieces have to fit together." For future institutes, participants expressed a desire for more interaction with students - perhaps in their internship class meetings on Fridays or at their internship placement sites. They would also like to hear from HTH alumni, to see if their majors and career interests have changed dramatically since they entered college and to hear their reflections on internships and other experiences at High Tech High. HTHL will incorporate these suggestions in the planning for future institutes. In the closing session, an inspiring comment was offered by a colleague from San Diego Unified: "I always get that surge of energy when I come to High Tech High, seeing so many people thinking outside the box. The school provides a model of what works that helps us as we try to design a better experience for our kids." 3. High Tech High Receives New Grant Funding High Tech High is pleased to announce the receipt of two new grants which will support the development of High Tech High Communities (HTHC), the Charter Management Organization (CMO) overseeing the development of new High Tech High schools in California. The Girard Foundation, a long time supporter of High Tech High, has committed $125,000 over one year to support the expansion of the CMO within the San Diego region, specifically targeting assistance to help the central organization develop the capacity to successfully open two new HTH schools annually within the San Diego region. In deciding to continue its support of HTH, the Girard Foundation cited High Tech High's strong track record of academic success and the organization's ability to make progress in critical areas such special education and teacher certification. The James Irvine Foundation made its first investment in HTH, committing $400,000 over two years to assist HTH to open new schools outside of San Diego. The Foundation noted the efforts of HTH to become an "open source CMO" that makes a range of supports and resources accessible to both public charter schools and traditional public schools wishing to adopt HTH instructional and business practices. High Tech High thanks the Girard Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation for their support. 4. High Tech High Announces Admission of New Schools to HTHL and HTHC On October 28, 2004 the Board of Trustees for HTHL unanimously approved the admission of two new schools to the HTHL Network. 
 5. Site Updates Camino Nuevo High School, Los Angeles, CA Camino Nuevo High school was admitted to the High Tech High Learning Network as an affiliate school in late October. The school has been participating in High Tech High Learning sponsored events such as teacher and principal residencies, as well as the college advising and internship institute. CNHS also sent participants in November to the Coalition of Essential Schools Conference in San Francisco and met with various educational leaders to create best practices for their school. The school showcased it's first Presentation of Learning in November. Similar to High Tech High's POL style, students presented their work to panels of adults, teachers, administrators, parents, community members, and the school's LAUSD liaison. At the end of the day, students collectively reflected on their work. Steve Seaford, principal at CNHS stated the best part of the POL was that "all students achieved something notable." City High School, Tucson, AZ 
City High School sent 4 school representatives to the
Coalition of Essential Schools conference in San
Francisco where teachers and administrators led 2 workshops.
The first workshop focused on CityWorks, the
service based learning projects implemented at the
school. The second workshop focused on the core tenets
of the school, the Habits of Heart and Mind.
City High School was a proud recipient of a $10,000
grant from the Audubon Society to support a CityWorks
class for the '05-'06 school year which will focus on a
restoration project of the Santa Cruz river. CHS is also
working with community members to launch a community
advisory council in January to engage parents, students,
board members, and staff with next school year's planning
and assessment. CHS students organized their first
annual community Holiday Party.High Tech High Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA Students in High Tech High LA's 9th grade class are creating a propelled boat. They have been testing their new project at the Birmingham High School pool and are excited at their progress. The 10th grade class held a Museum night for their Presentation of Learning. The POL showcased work from the Hellenistic Era. Another class is featuring the "Iron Chef" POL, whereby students are combining English, Math, and Chemistry to make and market drinks. The entire school attended the Body Worlds exhibit at the California Science Museum. Students learned about the functions of the human body. The drama class is planning to see the production of Caroline or Change at the Ahmason Theater. Mirta Ramirez Computer Science Charter School, Chicago, IL MRCS2 has developed a partnership with Cisco Systems and Moraine Valley Community College in which students receive college credit while learning about wireless networking and online security. Part of the students’ spring Presentations of Learning will be about computer security – families will bring their laptops and computers from home and the students will tell them how to protect them against viruses, etc. Also, in MRCS2’s partnership with Northwestern University, a Kellogg (Business School) student is working with students to publish a volume of their poetry. Any profit from the sales will go to the school. MRCS2 is also looking to continue their stock market project with Kellogg this year. Finally, some students worked on a campaign to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). The city was planning to cut bus services which would have made it difficult for some MRCS2 students to get to school and some parents and family members to get to work. The students presented at a public hearing and the CTA is looking at alternative strategies to maintain Blue Line services. New Bedford Global Learning Charter School, New Bedford, MA NBGLCS teachers are continuing their intense professional development pace, becoming certified in Intel's Teach to the Future program and various other tech resource programs such as DreamWeaver, Virtual Educational Space, and MassLearns. The school is planning to continue scheduled hours with the school's adopted contextual framework for project-based learning: EIC. Current projects for grade level teams are: 8th: Water quality study for the New Bedford Sewage Treatment Plant; 7th: History and demonstration of the manipulation of waterways by humans through the centuries; 6th: Study and demonstration of alternative energy sources, with connections to current Jason Project study; 5th: New Bedford Harbor water quality measurement and issues. NBGLCS kids have done field studies that include: comparing the natural environs of a salt marsh with a urban harbor - water quality, levels of toxicity in soil, presence of flora and fauna, etc. to determine pollution levels; preparing and engaging in presidential platform debates; researching and debating the electoral college; and visiting and cruising on the Schooner Ernestina this fall to study the New Bedford community history of immigration, whaling and trade -all of which actually took place on the ship. In addition to the Ernestina project, NBGLCS’s participation in the USDOE ECHO grant provides opportunities to share New Bedford history with other schools in "sister" whaling communities in Hawaii and Alaska. This month NBGLCS hosted a teacher from Hawaii and set up email pals at other schools. The High School launched its first POL in Social Studies which focused on technology integration with respect to history and geography. 24 High school students are also undertaking a rigorous marine science project to create an underwater vehicle. Principal Shelley Cohen and her team have been doing extensive programmatic planning to create a rigorous math/ science project. The High School has plans to utilize labs weekly at University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth for their project, which is still in collaboration stages. The school is working with other agencies to secure support materials for the program. The High School program will also feature job shadowing as a part of the 10th and 11th grade curriculum. Students have also been working with local agencies to spend time doing community service. New Urban High School, Clackamas, OR New Urban High School held Presentations of Learning at the end of December. More visiting panelists were incorporated than ever before, students took their presentations very seriously, and teachers observed that the POL’s get better every time. NUHS is looking at changing their junior year schedule to accommodate their Service Learning program. The school received a grant of $250,000 from a private source to help develop the program. Service Learning is a graduation requirement for NUHS students, and serves to scaffold the internships students will participate in during their senior year. Service projects can take place during the school day or outside of it. Teachers are working on developing a web-based format for tracking service projects that would be available to anyone to use. San Carlos High School, San Carlos, CA Recruitment efforts for the 05-06 school year are underway for San Carlos High School. The school will host it's annual open house in early December to invite prospective parents and students to learn more about the school and the exciting academic program it has to offer. Administrators at the school will also host a separate informational evening event for local middle school administrators for entering 9th grade students. Additionally, the school has scheduled several outreach meetings for partnership. The 10th grade Humanities team held an outstanding presentation of learning. The school-wide POL will take place after the break. San Carlos High students will also be participating in the Redwood City Holiday parade where they will volunteer their time to work with kids to see Santa and play in the snow park. High Tech High, San Diego, CA High Tech High recently hosted it's 4th annual Manpower academic Internship Showcase on December 2nd. The evening event drew a crowd of about 250 people comprised of students, staff, community members, corporate sponsors, mentors, and out of town visitors. Students presented what they learned, their role in the organization, and their collaboration with mentors at their internship site. Students spoke about their rich experiences at their internship sites and shared how their internship experience shaped their future college and career goals. In the month of November, High Tech High held a school wide community meeting. During the first part of the meeting, District 2 council person, Mike Zucchet presented an award to High Tech High students and 11th grade team teachers, Jay Vavra, Tom Fehrenbacher, and Rod Buenviaje for their dedication and work in the creation of the Two Sides of the Channel: A Field Guide. The councilman stated that the student work would be presented as evidence in public hearings to protect the polluted boat channel to save marine life. During the latter part of the community meeting, a teacher created video was presented to students which imitated the MTV series MADE. Students were excited to see their teachers in a different light. Prior to departing for the holiday break, students presented their first semester presentation of learning for their school projects. High Tech Middle, San Diego, CA High Tech Middle continues to receive positive feedback from the community. HTM was recently awarded The Platinum Award for Best Academic Practice from the Urban League, and was also recognized by the San Diego Union-Tribune for its work in the Advisory Program. A team of HTM students also qualified as a California Representative in the National Competition for the Lego Robotic Team. The school is currently organizing the Presentation of Learning (POL) that will culminate the semester. The student body and faculty will not only prepare for the POLs, but also secure the several dozens panelist and audience members for the presentations. Students are extremely excited and anxious to present their work. High Tech High International, San Diego, CA Administration recently met with different members of HTHL's network schools community at the College Advising and Internship Institute. Kelly Wilson, HTHI Director, remarked "It is exciting to share challenges and triumphs as we all work towards the same mission. When Rob Riordan was here last week from Cambridge he commented on the cross-fertilization happening between the network schools. One example from HTH International is something we "stole" from Tim King at New Urban High School called Student Interest Groups (or SIGs)." In conversation with Tim, HTHI teachers realized that because we chose to limit x-block to fitness activities such as Tai-Kwan-Do, Soccer, and Latin Dancing, students no longer have that time to get extra help in tutoring x-blocks or participate in club x-blocks. We have now added SIGs to our Tuesday/Thursday schedule and students are doing activities like chess, cooking, drawing, Model United Nations, ASB, yearbook, and peer tutoring. On November 13, 2004, "An Evening at High Tech High International" showcased the opening of the newest school in San Diego at a dinner for 200 guests. The evening's entertainment included African drummers, a Chinese acrobat and a Turkish belly dancer. The school raised $13,100 that night through student artwork and a unique "adoption" program for classrooms and teachers. |
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