HilHi Student Shows Senator Merkley That "Girls Get IT"

On Friday, August 26th, Senator Jeff Merkley visited Hillsboro High School to discuss the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. HilHi junior Savannah Loberger gave a presentation about a project she undertook this summer: organizing a 5-day STEM summer camp called "Girls Get IT."

The camp was staffed by female engineering students who volunteered their time to coach, teach, and mentor 37 young women through hands-on activities that ranged from learning binary code to electrocuting pickles. Savannah pulled together funding and donations from local companies to provide supplies, food, and tech-centric goodie bags for participants (there was a lego keychain involved).

The whole crowd--which consisted of business and political leaders, STEM students, and the media--was impressed with Savannah's work, but Senator Merkley's reaction really summed it up: "That is easily the coolest project I've seen from a high school student," he said. "Also, what exactly happens when you electrocute a pickle?"

To hear the answer to that question and learn more about "Girls Get IT," check out Savannah's speech:



HilHi engineering and robotics teacher Don Domes spoke about the state of STEM education in Oregon and shared his vision for success in the future:



Thank you to Senator Merkley for visiting HilHi and championing STEM programs in congress, and thank you to Savannah Loberger, Mr. Domes, and others in our region who work hard every day to improve access to quality high tech education.

Extra Credit:
Steve Duin's column on Merkley's visit
Hillsboro Argus article on "Girls Get IT"
Salem-News article on Merkley's STEM legislation

No Boyz Allowed Class Flourishing in Sherwood

Sherwood high school teachers John Neibergall and Jon Dickover share more than a first name: in adjoining classrooms they teach engineering and construction, respectively, two subjects which traditionally attract a much higher percentage of male students than females.

Unsatisfied with the low numbers of young women enrolled in their engineering classes, John and Jon put their heads together to come up with a solution. They looked at the research behind recruiting female students into nontraditional subjects. They examined the population they were serving: a vibrant and social school of over a thousand students in a tight-knit community. They talked to the young women already in enrolled in their classes.

They decided the best way to introduce female students to a potentially intimidating subject was to create a new class just for them. They gave it a catchy name: No Boyz Allowed. They set up a recruitment table during lunch periods and asked current female engineering students to show off cool projects and answer questions from curious passersby. Engaging prospective students one-on-one is proved to be a simple but powerful strategy: suddenly Sherwood High School students were seeing enthusiastic proof that girls could thrive in high tech classes.

Their hard work paid off: the first NBA class filled up. And then a second one.

Word of mouth from current students will likely popularize the program even more. Many of the students from this introductory class will move into more advanced engineering classes. From there they can pursue college educations and high wage jobs in a high tech field in desperate need of more women.

All thanks to two amazing teachers at Sherwood High School.

Extra Credit: Be sure to check out this great video, created by an NBA student, documenting some of the adventures the class has had so far!

Gaston High School Gives Back

Last school year the woods classes at Gaston High School illustrated the amazing positive impact a CTE program can have on its community.

One of the school district's bus drivers had recently fallen on hard financial times. Her kitchen cabinets were falling apart, but as anyone who has renovated a kitchen knows, replacing them was not exactly an affordable endeavor. That's when Gaston High School woods teacher Wade Sims proposed an idea: if she could pay for the raw materials, his class would construct her a full set of beautiful custom cabinets at no extra charge.

Take a look at the jaw-dropping results:

Advanced woods students did most of the actual construction, but students at every level were able to pitch in and help. In the end, a deserving member of the community got a beautiful new kitchen for a fraction of the price, while a group of dedicated students learned a valuable construction trade--not to mention the value of giving back.

Excellence in Education

Technology teacher Don Domes (right). Photo by Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian

Hillsboro High School's technology teacher Don Domes was recently selected as a finalist in the OnPoint Excellence in Education contest. Here's what parents Sheryl and Curt Loberger had to say in their nomination letter:

“Mr. Domes is like the energizer bunny. After 30 years of teaching he is still going strong with new and fresh ideas to keep the students motivated and learning. As technology is constantly improving so is Mr. Domes, his Technology department, and his teaching skills. Mr. Domes takes pride in his program and has made it one of the best in the state. He knows each student is an individual and helps develop each of them to become self-sufficient in the real world. He is a teacher who believes in hands-on training for his kids as they build, create, and solve various problems.”

The award comes with a $1500 cash prize for Mr. Domes and a matching $1500 prize for HilHi.

This is not the first time Mr. Domes has been acknowledged for his extraordinary work: In 2004 he received the Software Association of Oregon Foundation's Oregon Technology Educator of Year award.

Congratulations to Mr. Domes, a great example of the enthusiastic and knowledgeable CTE educators making a big difference in our local schools.

Extra Credit:
Hillsboro Robotics Teacher Learns Along With Students

CTE Star: Ben Wilson

Ben Wilson, 16, has taken woods classes at Gaston High School for the past 2 years, creating a variety of projects both beautiful and functional. Next year he's hoping to make a guitar. "He does probably the best work of anyone," says woods teacher Wade Sims. "He's really artistic and careful, and he's always taken what he learns here to heart."

Ben was kind enough to share his experience with us:

Why did you decide to take a woods class?
When I was in 7th grade, Mr. Sims had just gotten the wood lathes and I was really intrigued by it, so I decided to sign up. I really liked being able to get to build something and take it home tomorrow.

What do you like about this class?
I like thinking about what I can do in the future, with my career. There's so much you can do with such a vast array of machines and different types of wood. Mr. Sims is a great teacher; he lets us do things instead of just watching him do it, so it's good hands-on learning.

What's your favorite project you've worked on so far?
That would be last year, when I built a cabinet for my grandpa. He's always been there for me, and I actually changed my last name to Wilson for him, so it was really great to be able to create something especially for him. I made it out of pine, routed the name "Wilson" into the top, and added a dark blue inlay. Blue is his favorite color.

What has been the biggest challenge?
The tablesaw. There are so many things you have to keep in mind when you're running that thing. It's kind of menacing with its big blade. We were building new kitchen cabinets for a woman in the community and we had to use the tablesaw a lot, so that's how I overcame my fear of it.

What have you learned?
I've learned I have a lot of tolerance for things that go wrong. You've gotta have patience. Don't give up. Things always go wrong in the shop--things break, things don't come out the way you want--but you have to keep your head up and keep trying.

How is this class different from your other classes?
It's hands-on. You don't have to sit there and take notes. Even the tests are hands-on. This class teaches life lessons.

What would you say to other students who were thinking of taking a class like this?
I'd say do it. Come ready to work hard, and be disciplined. It's slow and tedious at first. Come prepared to work and come prepared to learn. Don't be scared. They'll take care of you.

What are your plans after high school?
I plan to be a school counselor. I want to help others, and I want to show people that if you work hard and keep your head up, you can do anything. You never think you can make something so pretty out of a piece of wood, and I think this applies to people, too. Maybe I'll help send somebody off to college who didn't think they could do it. I'm excited to help people find the potential they have inside, and help them accomplish their dreams.

Forest Grove Viking House Featured on NPR!

Last year's Viking House

Each year Forest Grove High School construction students build a beautiful single-family home known as the "Viking House," which is then put on the market and sold.

The Viking House is a great example of the power of hands-on learning, dedicated students, enthusiastic teachers, and support from the community, and now NPR is taking notice.

Please click here to listen to the story featured on NPR's Morning Edition.

Congratulations to teacher Chris Higginbotham and his class for another successful Viking House and many more to come!

Extra Credit:
Viking House official website
Forest Grove High students put finishing touches on 2010 Viking House (Oregonlive.com)
High schoolers building houses in self-funded program (The Oregonian)

Preschool Palace: No Ordinary Preschool

Peek into Preschool Palace and you'll see children laughing, playing, drawing and learning. But don't be fooled: Preschool Palace is no ordinary preschool.

Based in Grant Watts Elementary School in Scappoose, Preschool Palace is staffed and run by Scappoose High School's Child Development class. Under teacher Robyn Grabhorn's guidance, high school students do everything from writing lesson plans to setting up snack time to cleaning up after the 40 preschoolers enrolled in the morning and afternoon sessions.

"In this class, you don't just sit at a desk and learn from a book," says senior Jessica Norvald. "Here, you actually do it, and that's how you learn."

Every high school student is assigned a preschool "buddy" and works with them one-on-one (buddies rotate throughout the semester) on subjects like counting and writing. This system provides individual attention for every preschooler and allows the high school students to personalize their lesson plans and better understand the different learning styles and personalities in the group. "You get to know what level the kids are at," says student Lida Means. "You learn to set goals for them and for yourself."

High school students also rotate through the "teacher" role, which puts them in front of the whole class reading stories, singing songs, and teaching a lesson plan they designed from start to finish. "This class has opened my eyes to how kids develop and how to manage a classroom," says Rachel Pingle.

Grabhorn and one of her preschoolers.

"A big misconception is that we are just here to babysit," says Grabhorn. "People don't see how much work goes into this, and how much learning happens here."

Students write reflection papers about their lesson plans that are graded to state writing standards. They learn universal skills like teamwork, public speaking, and communication. Within the next few years, Grabhorn hopes to offer dual credit for the course through Portland Community College.

Many of the students want to work in early childhood education or related careers when they graduate. "When I started doing this class, I realized this is what I wanted to do," says Means.

Luckily for these hard-working high schoolers, word is getting out Preschool Palace's success. Grace Christian Preschool, located in Scappoose, recently contacted Grabhorn to see if any of her students were looking for employment. The school was so impressed after hiring one of the program's past students, Clairissa Williams, that when an assistant job opened up, they knew just where to look.


Says Grabhorn: "They had so many great things to say about Clairissa and liked that she had so many well-learned skills prior to her employment with them."

With Columbia County's unemployment rate hovering at 13.4%, it's no exaggeration that Scappoose's Child Development program is giving students a chance at a brighter future.

That's not to say it doesn't brighten up their present day, too: "There's never a dull moment," says Means, "and that makes it all the more fun."