Pin Oak MS, EECHS teachers also recognized through annual awards program
Alexandrea Oliphant has a secret to getting her kids interested in science. “I try to key in on whatever it is they’re really interested in and we start from there,” said the seventh-grade science teacher from Pershing Middle School. Continue reading
Three HISD science teachers to receive awards of up to $6,000
Three secondary science teachers in the Houston Independent School District will receive the KBR 2013 Teacher of the Year award on Friday.
This annual contest selects science teachers for this award based on their ability to increase student achievement in science and effectively engage students in the classroom, among other criteria. The winners are awarded $6,000, $4,000 and $2,000 respectively for first, second and third place.
Who: KBR Corporate Giving Supervisor Marolynne Huber, HISD administrators and science teachers
What: KBR 2013 Science Teacher of the Year awards ceremony
When: Friday, May 24th 11:30 – 1:00 p.m.
Where: Junior League of Houston, 1811 Briar Oaks Lane, Houston, TX 77027
Although she is just a high school junior, Booker T. Washington student Elizabeth Nolazco is managing a project to build a colony on Mars. She and her classmates are collaborating with students at the Ormiston Victory Academy in Norwich, England. The cross-Atlantic team is designing and planning every aspect of interplanetary living.
“We Skype every other week and discuss everything we need to build a base on Mars from the working space, to the kitchen, sleeping areas, restrooms and the airlocks that separate them,” said Nolazco. “We are learning so much about science and life in space, plus learning how to work with another project team that is far away.”
Partnership possible thanks to KBR’s support
Students at HISD’s Booker T. Washington High School are collaborating with students at the Ormiston Victory Academy in Norwich, England to build a mission on Mars, thanks to KBR’s Discover Engineering Committee.
The SAMbassadors program is designed to engage students in science and engineering projects with a global perspective. The students at both campuses Skype every other week to discuss the logistics of this project and share documents online. Each school has 25-30 students in the program.
One group of students has been determining environmental conditions on Mars such as wind speed, temperature, atmospheric gases, sunlight and shade, radiation and soil conditions. Another group is designing the living conditions. Meanwhile, the British students at Victory Academy are creating 3D CAD drawings.
The students from both campuses will Skype immediately following the press conference on Monday, May 20, 2013.
What: SAMbassadors, program to a build mission on Mars
Who: Aimee Yuan, KBR-DEC chairperson; Patrick Harkin, KBR-DEC outreach chair; Jack Kramer, KBR engineer; Dr. Nghia Le, engineering teacher, Washington High School; LaShonda Bilbo-Ervin, principal, Washington High School; Elizabeth Nolazco, student, Washington High School
When: Monday, May 20, 2013; Press conference – 9:30 a.m.; Skype interview – 10 a.m.
Where: Washington High School, 119 East 39th Street, Houston, 77018
HISD will be celebrating three of its long-standing community partners by inducting them into the district’s 2012 Hall of Fame during the annual Partnership Appreciation Breakfast on Friday, October 5 at 8:15a.m. at the Royal Sonesta Hotel (2222 West Loop South).
This year’s honorees, KBR, Port of Houston Authority, and Prepared 4 Life,will be recognized for their continued support and efforts to provide extra resources and opportunities for HISD students.
“We depend on our community partners to help us better serve our students and provide them opportunities that will prepare them for the workforce,” HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said. “They are vital to the success of the children in Houston. We can’t thank them enough for their continuous commitment to helping Houston’s students.”
The 2012 event’s theme, “Partnership Champions,” will recognize the partners’ efforts to go above and beyond to help HISD students achieve their dreams through their collaboration.
The KBR partnership began with the original HISD-Halliburton partnership in the 1980s. This partnership provides HISD with volunteers and financial contributions as well as support for organizations that help the district’s students. The KBR Discover Engineering group has volunteered for HISD programs as judges for science fairs, Youth Inventors’ Showcases, HISD/KBR Science Teacher Award, and FIRST Robotics Competitions. KBR is known for its three year commitment of $25,000 per year beginning in 2009 for the KBR Science Teacher of the Year Award.
The Port of Houston Authority began its partnership with HISD in 1986. Since then, the partnership has evolved to focus on encouraging students to pursue career opportunities in maritime transportation or associated fields. Thousands of students have taken tours of the Ship Channel on the Sam Houston inspection boat. The cornerstone of this partnership is the maritime program at Austin and Yates high schools. Students participating in the maritime program have the benefit of dual course credits, field trips, internships, college scholarship opportunities and maritime industry themed forums. Students also participate in the Port of Houston Authority/Texas Southern University summer transportation academy program and the Boy Scouts of America’s Venturing program.
Prepared 4 Life has been an HISD partner since 2005. The partnership began with after-school activities offered at select middle schools to instill life skills, character education and self-reliance. An E-mentoring program was later implemented to help students as well. Prepared 4 Life is noted for sponsoring Lemonade Day which began in 2007 and offers students entrepreneurial experience by encouraging them to select lemonade stand sites while schools choose to have school, grade-level, or classroom stands. To extend the entrepreneurial experience to more students, Serving Up Lemonade was implemented in 2010 for sixth-grade students and expanded the next year to include seventh-grade students.