Message
Interesting article in today's Post regarding new career-focused programs in PG County schools.
High school aerospace engineering program taking flight
I think programs like this are good because they help kids make the connection between abstract math and science and the real world.
High school aerospace engineering program taking flight
I think programs like this are good because they help kids make the connection between abstract math and science and the real world.
Anonymous wrote:Are donations tax deductible?
Hello. The short answer is "not yet". We submitted our 501c3 application this month. Although the new IRS 1023 EZ process is supposedly much faster than the old way, I will be pleasantly surprised if we receive any word from them before the end of the year.
So, while any donation would be greatly appreciated, we cannot yet advertise them as tax deductible.
Christopher
UPDATE:
It has been absolutely wonderful to see the passion and support for the NW Saturday Academy and our GoFundMe.com campaign, and we want to thank every one of you for your continued support. Our programs in computer programming, robotics and mathematics will help nurture creativity and problem-solving skills, and prepare DC students for any future career. With your help, we can enroll the largest possible number of students in our initial class.
So far, we have been able to complete a lot of the "nuts and bolts" tasks that are needed to get a program like this off the ground:
- We are incorporated as a non-profit organization
- Our 501(c)(3) application has been submitted to the IRS
- We have a tentative agreement on a hosting site
- We are organizing our teachers and volunteers
- We will be leading free Hour of Code events for students at local elementary schools during Computer Science Education week in December
As we go into the final seven days of our GoFundMe.com Start-up campaign (www.gofundme.com/nwsadc), we need your help more than ever to finish the job! Be sure to go and contribute and find out more about how to spread the word about the campaign, and join our new and passionate STEM learning community.
Remember, our GoFundMe.com campaign ends on December 2nd at midnight!
Have a great Thanksgiving Holiday!
Christopher
It has been absolutely wonderful to see the passion and support for the NW Saturday Academy and our GoFundMe.com campaign, and we want to thank every one of you for your continued support. Our programs in computer programming, robotics and mathematics will help nurture creativity and problem-solving skills, and prepare DC students for any future career. With your help, we can enroll the largest possible number of students in our initial class.
So far, we have been able to complete a lot of the "nuts and bolts" tasks that are needed to get a program like this off the ground:
- We are incorporated as a non-profit organization
- Our 501(c)(3) application has been submitted to the IRS
- We have a tentative agreement on a hosting site
- We are organizing our teachers and volunteers
- We will be leading free Hour of Code events for students at local elementary schools during Computer Science Education week in December
As we go into the final seven days of our GoFundMe.com Start-up campaign (www.gofundme.com/nwsadc), we need your help more than ever to finish the job! Be sure to go and contribute and find out more about how to spread the word about the campaign, and join our new and passionate STEM learning community.
Remember, our GoFundMe.com campaign ends on December 2nd at midnight!
Have a great Thanksgiving Holiday!
Christopher
http://youtu.be/7Hb0vkdzaWg
We want to share this fascinating video from a Baltimore TEDx Talk by Dr. Roni Ellington, a Morgan State University professor of mathematics and a DC native. In this talk, she shares her story about coming up through DC Public Schools and Spingarn HS and it is truly inspirational. Her research focuses on factors that allow talented, under-represented college students to "persist" and "succeed" in challenging STEM disciplines like theoretical mathematics.
One of her key findings is that self-efficacy, the extent or strength of one's belief in one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals, was a crucial, common trait seen in all of the successful STEM students she interviewed, and often that important self-concept was honed in special academic programs starting as early as the third grade. In her 2006 dissertation at the University of Maryland, Dr. Ellington wrote of one of her subjects, "[In elementary school] Tina was placed in classes with teachers who pushed her and challenged her in mathematics. She participated in hands on activities, played games which incorporated mathematical ideas and did very challenging mathematics work."
With the political season in the rear-view mirror, it is time that we work together to bring high-quality learning opportunities, in STEM and other subjects, to youth across the city.
Regards,
Christopher Alexander
Founder, NW Saturday Academy
www.nwsadc.com | @NWSaturday
We want to share this fascinating video from a Baltimore TEDx Talk by Dr. Roni Ellington, a Morgan State University professor of mathematics and a DC native. In this talk, she shares her story about coming up through DC Public Schools and Spingarn HS and it is truly inspirational. Her research focuses on factors that allow talented, under-represented college students to "persist" and "succeed" in challenging STEM disciplines like theoretical mathematics.
One of her key findings is that self-efficacy, the extent or strength of one's belief in one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals, was a crucial, common trait seen in all of the successful STEM students she interviewed, and often that important self-concept was honed in special academic programs starting as early as the third grade. In her 2006 dissertation at the University of Maryland, Dr. Ellington wrote of one of her subjects, "[In elementary school] Tina was placed in classes with teachers who pushed her and challenged her in mathematics. She participated in hands on activities, played games which incorporated mathematical ideas and did very challenging mathematics work."
With the political season in the rear-view mirror, it is time that we work together to bring high-quality learning opportunities, in STEM and other subjects, to youth across the city.
Regards,
Christopher Alexander
Founder, NW Saturday Academy
www.nwsadc.com | @NWSaturday
calexander wrote:Giving this a bump to remind everyone that our Parent Information Meeting is coming up on next Monday, October 6, at the Petworth Library at 6:30pm.
We have a flyer with more information or please feel free to view Coming Events section of the Ward4ed.org web site. We've had some good feedback from the community over the past few weeks and we're excited to share with you and get your input about the program.
Thanks,
Christopher Alexander
Founding Member & Ward 4 Parent
NW Saturday Academy
www.nwsadc.com
@NWSaturday
facebook.com/nwsadc
Bumping to remind everyone that this meeting is tonight. We promised to get you home before kickoff of #SEAvsWAS
Anonymous wrote:Pretty clear we're headed for a Bowser election with a very limited mandate to keep doing what we're doing - gradual improvement - without committing crimes.
Not exactly reaching for the stars there...
Giving this a bump to remind everyone that our Parent Information Meeting is coming up on next Monday, October 6, at the Petworth Library at 6:30pm.
We have a flyer with more information or please feel free to view Coming Events section of the Ward4ed.org web site. We've had some good feedback from the community over the past few weeks and we're excited to share with you and get your input about the program.
Thanks,
Christopher Alexander
Founding Member & Ward 4 Parent
NW Saturday Academy
www.nwsadc.com
@NWSaturday
facebook.com/nwsadc
We have a flyer with more information or please feel free to view Coming Events section of the Ward4ed.org web site. We've had some good feedback from the community over the past few weeks and we're excited to share with you and get your input about the program.
Thanks,
Christopher Alexander
Founding Member & Ward 4 Parent
NW Saturday Academy
www.nwsadc.com
@NWSaturday
facebook.com/nwsadc
arowe wrote:Christopher - we may have to take a road trip out to Howard County or Montgomery County to find out more about what they do.
That's a good idea, to get a first hand look at best practices from a veteran program.
Does anyone have experience with a school or district using programs like tenmarks.com or mathforum.org? If so, what did you think of them?
I have updated the OP to reflect the simple eligibility area of "Ward 4" instead of tying it to specific schools.
Anonymous wrote:Seems like this is a great concept but would be much stronger if you included kids from NW DC as a whole--those in charters, those in Ward 3 and 1 and 2.
Seems odd to ward 4 it alone and not have Shepard on the list. From my perspective I think the economics play a huge role in the success of the middle/hs. I think we need to find ways to have the economics zig zagging across ward 4 and nw.
i used to run a saturday academy in baltimore in the early 90's--it is a great enrichment opp but cant say it will change the course of crappy middle schools
DCPS hasn't yet begun the planning for any of these middle schools. However, it is my hope that we can influence the process so that the finished product is a school that meets the needs of the whole range of student abilities and interests, from career focused to advanced academics.
Anonymous wrote:I agree that this should be opened up. I think this is an interesting idea that I would like to learn more about and consider supporting, but as currently set up, my child can not participate. We live In Ward 4 and our address is being zoned out of Deal but my child is at a charter school (and not a charter school that feeds into DCI). Our middle school will be the new middle school, so why exclude families like mine from this if you want broad support from the community? I would love to have a high-quality public middle school in my community.
Thank you all and I appreciate the feedback. I am open to expanding the enrollment and I will take this information back to our organizing group.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Seems like this is a great concept but would be much stronger if you included kids from NW DC as a whole--those in charters, those in Ward 3 and 1 and 2.
Seems odd to ward 4 it alone and not have Shepard on the list. From my perspective I think the economics play a huge role in the success of the middle/hs. I think we need to find ways to have the economics zig zagging across ward 4 and nw.
i used to run a saturday academy in baltimore in the early 90's--it is a great enrichment opp but cant say it will change the course of crappy middle schools
Perhaps Shepherd is excluded because it is currently a Deal feeder? So these kids wouldn't be attending the new middle school.
Yes, Shepherd and the WOTP schools are excluded (for now) because we are trying to offer the opportunities to the kids who would be attending the new middle school. If a family is in bounds for Deal, they are generally pretty happy with that option.
Hello neighbors,
My name is Christopher Alexander and I am the parent of two children who attend a Ward 4 elementary school. With all of the possibility and uncertainty surrounding the school boundaries and new middle schools in the ward, I have been discussing a proposal for opening a non-profit Saturday Academy for children in the community. It would be modeled on long-standing programs in Montgomery and Howard counties, but it will also have a focus on rigorous and exciting STEM learning opportunities in math and computer science.
EDIT: Upon further review, I think it would be better to have a more simple eligibility pool. Therefore, the program would be open to all students with a Ward 4 address.
DELETED TEXT:
The underlying goal of this program would be to create a cohort of students who are ready for algebra in middle school. If Jeff’s “Unicorn Middle School” ever comes to fruition, we would like to have a network of students, families and support structures in place to help that school and our children reach their full potential.
I think of this as a way to help us parents overcome the "Prisoner's Dilemma" we face when considering middle school options. No one wants to "go it alone" when a school is unproven. But if there were a group of families with 40, 60, 80+ kids with whom we have built relationships, formed teams and accomplished X, Y, Z, I believe that takes some of the risk out of the middle school decision for all of us. In the worst case scenario, the kids learn something, have some fun and then go their separate ways in sixth grade. However, in the best case, we would actually come together and form the foundation of a viable middle school right in our own neighborhood.
Right now we have a framework, but we need input from the community. We will beholding a Parent Information Meeting at the Petworth Library on Monday, October 6th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Also, please visit our website at www.nwsadc.com for more information and feel free to comment below with ideas, suggestions and potential pitfalls.
Thank you
My name is Christopher Alexander and I am the parent of two children who attend a Ward 4 elementary school. With all of the possibility and uncertainty surrounding the school boundaries and new middle schools in the ward, I have been discussing a proposal for opening a non-profit Saturday Academy for children in the community. It would be modeled on long-standing programs in Montgomery and Howard counties, but it will also have a focus on rigorous and exciting STEM learning opportunities in math and computer science.
EDIT: Upon further review, I think it would be better to have a more simple eligibility pool. Therefore, the program would be open to all students with a Ward 4 address.
DELETED TEXT:
The underlying goal of this program would be to create a cohort of students who are ready for algebra in middle school. If Jeff’s “Unicorn Middle School” ever comes to fruition, we would like to have a network of students, families and support structures in place to help that school and our children reach their full potential.
I think of this as a way to help us parents overcome the "Prisoner's Dilemma" we face when considering middle school options. No one wants to "go it alone" when a school is unproven. But if there were a group of families with 40, 60, 80+ kids with whom we have built relationships, formed teams and accomplished X, Y, Z, I believe that takes some of the risk out of the middle school decision for all of us. In the worst case scenario, the kids learn something, have some fun and then go their separate ways in sixth grade. However, in the best case, we would actually come together and form the foundation of a viable middle school right in our own neighborhood.
Right now we have a framework, but we need input from the community. We will beholding a Parent Information Meeting at the Petworth Library on Monday, October 6th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Also, please visit our website at www.nwsadc.com for more information and feel free to comment below with ideas, suggestions and potential pitfalls.
Thank you