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Envision Students Visit Colleges
As part of the college-going culture at Envision Schools, our students are invited to visit local universities during each year of high school. This past fall, 9th graders at Impact Academy went on an overnight trip to UC Santa Cruz and CSU Monterey Bay, with a stop at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for some fun and exploration. Impact 10th graders went to St. Mary's College, 11th graders visited Santa Clara University and San Jose State, while the seniors enjoyed a trip to UC Merced.
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Left to right: Haley Braxton, Gabrielle Hill-Byrd, Miguel Cruz, Vivyana Garcia, Stephanie Nielsen, Natalie Ortiz
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Metro Arts & Tech students will take a school-wide college trip this spring, but have already visited Bay Area campuses in small groups. With trips to Sonoma State, and UC Davis, our students have expanded their understanding of what possibilities await them after high school graduation. On their visit to UC Davis, students were treated to sneak peeks of the athletic facilities, complete with rock climbing walls, racquetball courts, and workout equipment. They toured the dining hall and had lunch with Metro graduate, Winnie Mack, who served as their unofficial tour guide. Tenth grader, Tucosha, was totally inspired by the trip, and now understands the opportunities that are possible if she aims for the highest grades possible. Nicole Morello, College Advisor, remarked, "She has re-engaged with her classes, and her class advisor told me that she has a new energy and commitment after coming back from the trip".
Envision's college visit program is funded in part by a generous grant from the Kimball Foundation.
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Left to right: Tucosha Lopez, Nyriana Lawrence, Yvonne Armenta, Winnie Mack (Alumni, Class of 2012), Shatara Daniels, Jerica Miles, Yuritzy Rodriguez
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Envision Schools Teacher Spotlights
John Kittredge, founding teacher at Envision Academy (EA) and their current Digital Media Arts guru, has been very busy this school year. In November, he presented at the Facing History conference and retreat on eliciting high student engagement in academically rigorous classrooms. Among other things, John discussed EA's "Untold Voices" oral history website project, now entering its third year. In addition to his involvement as a workshop presenter, John was honored with the Margot Stern Strom Teaching Award. With this award, he will purchase additional video equipment for the school to aid in the student production of an anti-hate/anti-bullying video, and expand the reach of Facing History's collaboration with the Oakland Inside/Out project.
Denise Huey, Algebra teacher at Impact Academy, has also been out and about sharing her knowledge. This past October, she presented at the East Bay Charter Connect Symposium in Oakland. Denise talked about how to teach 9th graders to be thoughtful, reflective learners and how teachers can collaborate with advisories to implement some of these teaching strategies across the curriculum. Impact teachers, Russ Whismore and Sarah Berry, also attended the conference and took away some great ideas for their classrooms as well.
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Youth of the Year Award
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Brianna Benson, with Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco president, Rob Connolly
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Brianna was selected from seven finalists, earning an award and $10,000 scholarship in recognition of her outstanding achievements as a student, and for her community service as a member of the Visitacion Valley Clubhouse.
Congratulations, Brianna, on your academic success and stellar leadership skills! |
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The Road to College at Metro and CAT
Our seniors have been working hard on academics while also applying to colleges and universities across the country. In addition to the expert guidance received by our college advisors, Envision students often benefit from the assistance of community members.
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Thanks to our friends at Credit Suisse, Dan Oppenheim, Brandon Heiken, Satya Kumar, Jeremiah Shepard, Luke Toland and Kris Trafton, who volunteered to assist the Class of 2013 with college and financial aid applications at our San Francisco schools, City Arts & Technology and Metropolitan Arts & Technology. Besides the valuable time spent working with students, Credit Suisse also generously provided a $10,000 grant to support our ongoing efforts.
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Graduate Profile:
Rebeca Lopez, Class of '12
We recently caught up with Impact Academy graduate, Rebeca Lopez, as she begins her second semester at Occidental College.
Intended Major: Diplomacy and World Affairs
Minor: Latino/Latina Studies
Courses Completed: Youth and Youth Cultures, Immigration and Education, Cultural Studies, Spanish
College Clubs: Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, College Against Cancer, Dean's Advisory Board
Q: How well did Impact Academy prepare you for your first semester?
A:
Impact definitely helped me in many ways. One of the biggest things was how to organize my thoughts before beginning an essay. I found myself making my own outline and setting up my evidence, just as I was taught at Impact. The public speaking skills I developed were a huge asset! I can't even remember how many presentations and debates I had to do last semester, but I do remember how nervous some of my other classmates were, and I was extremely grateful I had already gone through that.
Read the full interview here.
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Envision Portfolio Defenses
Check out this video compiled by Envision Learning Partners of students participating in their portfolio defenses. Way to go Envision students!
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