EAST Insight Fall 2023 by EAST Initiative

EAST INSIGHT FALL 2023

Photo by Cambry Edwards, Northeast Tech - Claremore

What is

rated le e c c a n o ti a c u d e EAST is y! g lo o n h c te & e ic rv e s by

In 250+ schools OK

across Arkansas and beyond, EAST students are given access to numerous types of technology and are tasked with solving problems within their community.

NO lectures. NO standardized tests.

Just innovation, growth, and life-changing educational experiences. with

20,000+

EAST students enrolled yearly

250,000+

& EAST alumni across the globe

Interested in joining us on our mission to revolutionize education? Visit EASTinitiative.org to learn more. 2

EAST INSIGHT

Table of Contents AN OVERVIEW OF EAST INSIGHT

F A C I L I TAT O R F E AT U R E

PAGE 6

National Geographic recognized Brittany Berry as a National Grosvenor Fellow, and Berry is implementing lessons learned from the historic organization into her classroom.

L E T S : P R E PA R E F O R T H E F U T U R E

PAGE 8

Thanks to a grant from NSF EPSCoR, EAST hosted three professional development sessions this summer and sent educators home with brand-new technology.

SEMINAR RECAP

PAGE 12

We were “Off to the Races” for EAST Seminar, our annual professional development conference held exclusively for EAST facilitators.

PAGE 14

A L U M N I F E AT U R E Becky Flynn recounts her journey from EAST student at Little Rock Mills High School to changing the lives of countless women across Arkansas through her role with the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas.

PROJECT PROFILES

PAGE 18-19

EAST students from Morrilton High School designed a new training room for future firefighters, while a duo from Sulphur Rock Magnet Elementary School solved a lostand-found problem with a 3D printer.

S TA F F S P OT L I G H T

PAGE 20

EAST Vice President of IT Jerry Prince is celebrating his 20th anniversary with EAST this year. He reflects on how EAST has changed both education and himself.

PROJECT ZOO

PAGE 28

EAST students partnered with the Little Rock Zoo to tackle unique problems and innovate in tangible ways. Check out how programs made a difference last year!

W E L L I N G TO N E N G AG E M E N T I N D E X

PAGE 32

EAST doesn’t rely on standardized testing to assess how engaged students are in the classroom. Instead, the Wellington Engagement Index provides raw data straight from the source to determine how engaged students are in EAST and other courses.

FALL 2023

Letter from the Editor

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Bradley Brewer Designer Jocelyn Johnson Contributor Jamie Moody

With the dawn of a new school year, we’ve decided to make major changes to how we share the EAST story inside and outside the EAST Network. If you were a reader of EAST Quarterly, you’ve probably already noticed the magazine has a new name and look! EQ is now EAST Insight, a larger bi-annual publication instead of quarterly. You can now expect a complete view of what is happening in every area of EAST, from professional development, scholarships, events and how students are shaping their communities through EAST projects. We’d also like to encourage you to sign up for our new monthly newsletter, “EAST Perspectives,” where our new Student Contributors (whom you will meet on page 23) will take the wheel and share their experiences and those of fellow EAST students. Why the change? In our world today, transparency in education has become a growing priority for everyone who has a stake in our education system. Parents and community members want to know what is happening inside the classrooms, and at EAST, we are more than enthusiastic to welcome everyone in to take a look.

6215 Ranch Dr. Little Rock, AR 72223 501.371.5016 EASTinitiative.org communications@EASTstaff.org

Our students continue to blow us away not only by how quickly they become adept at using professional technology, but also by their passion for reaching out into their community to create positive change and solve problems.

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Every EAST program has the capacity to impact each student, educator, school and community it reaches — all you have to do is look.

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BRADLEY BREWER E D I TO R

EAST INSIGHT

Disclaimer The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited materials lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of the EAST Initiative. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the copyright holder. All copyrights are recognized and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review.

Bringing the World into the Classroom BY BRADLEY BREWER Brittany Berry was born to be a world-class educator. Raised in a household of teachers, she had a passion for education instilled in her from a young age. It’s why she’s become one of the most distinguished facilitators within the EAST Network. “I’m a nerd, and I like to learn and explore new things,” Berry said. “When people ask me about EAST and why I love it, I always say it’s because I’m motivated by the students. I’m learning with them. I grew up in a household with a love of learning, and EAST provides a classroom environment with that for me and my students. I’ve learned many things I would’ve never learned as a Social Studies teacher.” Berry received the largest honor in her teaching career this year by being selected as a National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, a national recognition awarded to the top educators in the country. In addition to receiving this honor, Berry has gained access to exclusive professional development opportunities to continue growing her EAST program. “The process includes talking about project-based learning in your classroom, how you connect students to the environment, ecology, topics like climate change, and how to bring the world into your classroom,” Berry said. “It’s a natural fit with EAST.” The marquee reward of being selected as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow is being invited on an all-expenses paid expedition to an exotic location to learn more about the environment and how educators can relate it to the classroom. Berry’s expedition will travel to a continent that you probably wouldn’t expect: Antarctica. “When I leave to go to Antarctica, there will be a lot of scientists and STEM professionals on board as well,” Berry said. “So by learning about all of the careers that exist and introducing them to my students, I hope that will inspire them and open their eyes to all of the opportunities they have.” Berry hopes that she can take lessons from National Geographic’s approach to storytelling and use that to fuel her EAST environment and its involvement in the community. “A large part of National Geographic is their emphasis on storytelling,” Berry said. “Creating compelling stories leads people to care, and caring leads to people creating change. I hope exposing my students to these resources right off the bat will motivate them to share the stories within our community.” On top of being recognized by National Geographic, Berry was also recognized by her peers at EAST Seminar in July. She was chosen as the recipient of the Matt Dozier EAST Legacy Award, an award created to recognize the positive impact in the EAST network hae on each other and on their students. Even with all of her accomplishments, Berry was stunned to receive the award as she believes many of her close friends were just as deserving. “There’s a really wonderful group of us that started together and that is still going. I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of them up on stage winning an award,” Berry said. 6

EAST INSIGHT

FALL 2023

LETS: Prepare for the Future BY BRADLEY BREWER EAST offered state-of-the-art professional development last summer for the third year running, thanks to a grant from NSF EPSCoR. The series, titled “LETS: Prepare for the Future,” focuses on teaching educators how to implement different types of technology into their classrooms in addition to sending each educator in attendance home with some new hardware. Over the course of one week, EAST: Education Unleashed offered three sessions to more than 50 educators in attendance. These sessions included topics such as: 3D printing, coding using Raspberry pi-top machines, and grant writing, a new addition to our curriculum. “Having professional development where you go hands-on and take something tangible away from it, that’s the biggest takeaway from me,” said Jarrett Tedder, a STEM

EAST INSIGHT

teacher at Bethel Middle School in Alexander, Ark. “This solved a lot of the technical [questions] for me.” While this professional development series was offered to all Arkansas certified educators, EAST facilitators also attended to help improve their programs. “It gave me confidence,” said Angela Greene, EAST facilitator at Wilson Intermediate School in Malvern, Ark. “So now when my kids have questions, I can actually answer them and guide them to where they need to go. I feel like I can now better educate them on 3D printing.” Taylor Yokem, a computer science teacher at Sacred Heart Catholic School (Morrilton, Ark.), is entering his second year as an educator and attended the “Code in the Classroom” training session to offer his students a wider scope of teaching. “It was nice for myself to come into a

classroom environment, almost like a kid, and get taught how to use [the technology],” Yokem said. “Any time you have an initiative that empowers educators to have more tools in their classrooms and [teaches] how to use them — how can you not get behind that?”

BY THE NUMBERS 56 educators trained over three sessions 29 3D printers provided to educators 10 Raspberry pi-top 4 foundation provided to educators

51 different schools impacted

MEET THE TRAINERS

Joel Gordon

Senior Solutions Manager: MatterHackers, Co-founder: Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub

James Levisee

Owner, Lingo Technologies

Sara Drew

Director of Development, EAST Initiative

FALL 2023

Welcome New EAST Programs for 2023-2024 Arkansas Arts Academy High School (Rogers) Beryl Henry Elementary (Hope) Jonesboro Leadership Elementary Magnet Nettleton STEAM Elementary (Jonesboro) Newport High School Palestine - Wheatley High School Premier High School - Springdale West Elementary (Batesville)

The T in EAST BY BRADLEY BREWER

Each new EAST program receives tens of thousands of dollars in new technology at the beginning of their first classroom year. The technology is professionally installed by the EAST Technical Support Group, and includes: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Microsoft HoloLens 2 Canon XA60 Cameras Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro Nikon Z50 Mirrorless Camera Kit Zoom H8 Handy Recorder HP Color LaserJet Printer NAS with over 4TB storage MatterHackers 3D Printer Bundle - Bambu Lab X1 Carbon Vinyl Cutter Akai Professional MPK Mini MK3 25-Key USB MIDI Controller XP-PEN Artist15.6 Inch Drawing Pen Display Graphics Monitor pi-top Complete CS and Robotics Raspberry pi model 4

In addition to state-of-the-art hardware, EAST classrooms are equipped with software that professionals use daily in career areas like multimedia post-production, 3D design, coding and more.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Microsoft Office Pro Adobe Creative Cloud Final Cut Pro X MainStage 3 ArcGIS Unity Engine Unreal Engine Archicad Arduino IDE Bambu Studio (3D Printing) SketchUp MakerVerse

FALL 2023

Congratulations & Thank You for your years of EAST service!

5 YEARS OF SERVICE

10 YEARS OF SERVICE

15 YEARS OF SERVICE

20 YEARS OF SERVICE 12

EAST INSIGHT

Off to the Races BY BRADLEY BREWER School might stop for summer break, but EAST doesn’t! More than 200 EAST facilitators gathered at Oaklawn Hot Springs for EAST Seminar 2023, an annual professional development conference tailor-made for those in the EAST Environment. Over 30 breakout sessions were available for facilitators to choose from during EAST Seminar, with topics ranging from fixing broken technology to increasing community engagement within programs. Each year, we recognize facilitators who have completed five, 10, 15 and 20 years of service in the EAST Environment, and the impact those years have made on our students. Thirty facilitators were honored during this year’s Closing Session. Thanks to everyone who attended the Seminar Social event at the Mid-America Science Museum, the EAST Scholarship fund eclipsed $100,000! This is another massive milestone in EAST’s efforts to support students beyond graduating high school. Companies from across Arkansas exhibited during EAST Seminar to share how they can partner with programs as a resource for future projects and areas to explore after graduation.

Turn to page 35 for a special thank you to our sponsors! FALL 2023

Meet Becky Flynn, EAST Alum BY BRADLEY BREWER One of EAST’s biggest supporters in the nonprofit world is the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, an organization whose work supports female EAST students in several ways, including through administering the Dr. Mary Lowe Good Legacy Scholarship, and by funding the EAST Girls Doing Good student training series.

tention to detail is what I really took away is a successful adult that started in EAST,” from my program.” Becky said. “We’re in different fields, but the commonality between all of us is that we Becky stays plugged in to the work EAST is are all connected. EAST provides a perfect doing, noting there are numerous ways that opportunity to develop personal and professional EAST and the Women’s Foundation share relationships and expand who you know, so I visions and are working toward common encouraged students to meet each other to goals. make connections and build networks.”

EAST and WFA’s relationship have roots “Our relationship with EAST has really dating back to at least the late 1990’s. grown over the years,” Becky said. “EAST does a lot to support girls in STEM and Becky has served as the Director of Development that’s one of the main pillars of the Women’s for the Women’s Foundation since 2020. But, 15 Foundation. So seeing the work EAST does years before she began making a difference for is something we are constantly interested in women across the state, Becky made her mark being part of.” on the EAST program as one of the first EAST students at Mills High School in Little Rock. This year, Becky joined fellow EAST alums on a breakout session panel at EAST “I remember working on a mapping project Conference and offered a different take and it was important to us that it was perfectly on how EAST can open so many doors for accurate,” Becky said. “Our group was really its current students and even its alumni. into the project. I think the experience of working as a team and developing our at- “I spoke about how everyone on that panel 14

EAST INSIGHT

Becky noticed one main characteristic seemingly all the students exhibited during her time answering questions at Conference. “EAST students are all looking ahead to the future,” Becky said. “That isn’t always the case for students so that vision and passion is refreshing.”

Know an EAST alum we should feature? Email: communications@eaststaff.org

Girls Doing Good Training Series BY BRADLEY BREWER EAST concluded the first half of our Girls Doing Good student training series presented by the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, giving 7th to 12th-grade girls in EAST the opportunity to rub elbows with female professionals in several fields and receive hands-on training.

press Yourf!

A Graphic Design Bootcamp

Hosted by the Creative Institute of Central Arkansas, EAST students participated in “A Graphic Design Bootcamp” to learn how they can express themselves through the power of art and design. Students visited with the designers at the Creative Institute, including EAST alum and instructor Kahlief Steele, and Jessica Crum, CEO of Silverlake Design Studio.

Women in Media Arkansas State University’s School of Media and Journalism hosted the “Women in Media” training, where students learned from female professionals in fields like Sports Broadcasting, Multimedia Journalism and Marketing. The EAST students also assisted in producing a live ASU-TV show, operating studio cameras, audio and graphics boards, and appearing on-camera to share their experiences in EAST.

FALL 2023

Meet Our Student Contributors BY BRADLEY BREWER

This year, we’re launching the EAST Student Contributors program to give six students the opportunity to share their EAST year experiences with you through photography, videography and writing. The students will work together to create “EAST Perspectives,” a monthly email newsletter, and create content for EASTinitiative.org and EAST Insight.

Zackery Standlee Northeast TechClaremore (Oklahoma)

Sara Cline Paragould High School

Evan Pratt-Hall Arkansas School for the Blind

EAST INSIGHT

“I’m Zackery Standlee, a 17-year-old participating in the EAST program at Northeast Tech Claremore. I thrive on teamwork and positivity, armed with a toolkit of problem-solving and leadership skills from my time as a Boy Scout. Alongside my knack for photography, I have a passion for graphic design that I’ve been refining through training and practice.”

“Hey Guys! I have been in EAST for four years and I have been to EAST Conference three of those four years! This year I am a Student Champion of my EAST program with one of my best friends Katelynn Reed, and last year I was a Difference Maker recipient. Outside of EAST I am a Junior at Paragould High School, as well as the Co- Captain of our Varsity cheerleading team!”

“My name is Evan William Hall-Pratt and I attend the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired as a sophomore. I am 16-years-old. Currently, I am going on to my sixth year as an EAST student. I also participate in organizations like FBLA (Future Bussiness Leaders of America) and FCCLA (Family Career Community Leaders of America). Some clubs I take part in are Yearbook, BookClub, and even ArtClub. I also participate in cheerleading as the mascot and I participate in track and field. Some of my hobbies include photography, journalism, playing the violin and piano, listening to music, reading, writing, and learning how to cook and bake. After I have completed high school I hope to pursue a career in Education or Journalism.”

Emma Claire Kelley Wynne High School

Eva Grace Duncan Searcy High School

Hayden Taylor Batesville High School Charter

“Hi! As I am entering my 4th year in an EAST class, I can confidently say that EAST has opened so many learning opportunities for me. I love to be involved in anything I can, so I am an active member of FBLA, EAST leadership, FCA, HOSA, Student Council, Educators Rising, and Drug Free. I am also on the WHS cheer and golf team

“Hey y’all! I’m Eva Grace Duncan and I’m from Searcy, Arkansas. This is my sixth year in EAST. Back home in my EAST class, I serve as our EAST board president, social media specialist, and student champion. Outside of EAST, I am a member of the Senior High Orchestra, play golf, serve as our FCCLA Chapter President, Key Club Vice President, FBLA social media reporter, and a member of YAC. I am super passionate about social media and marketing. Some of my hobbies include reading, gardening, watching Netflix, and listening to Taylor Swift. I am super excited to be a part of the Student Contributors this year!”

“My name is Hayden Taylor, and this is my fifth year in EAST. I’ve worked on a variety of projects, ranging from dealing with engineering and 3D design to collaborating with our school district on our school diet to serving as our school’s newscast media editor for the past two years. I am very thrilled to be able to contribute to EAST by utilizing my expertise. In my spare time, I enjoy writing, learning, and practicing new technological abilities. I love EAST, and it is my favorite part about school. I am overjoyed at the chance of this fantastic opportunity.”

FALL 2023

Designing Future Firefighters BY BRADLEY BREWER At Morrilton High School, four EAST students made it their mission the person who fills out everything like for our EAST Conference to help train the area’s future firefighters for years to come with the competition and our grant application. I’d also help Raeden a lot “Firefighter Smoke Room” project. within Archicad and in implementing our design into BMX (Behavioral Modeling Extension).” Juniors Aymslee Pawlik, Raeden Dunkin, Sasha Erdmann and freshman Michael Arnold partnered with the school’s firefighting class to design Each group member had to venture outside their comfort zone and and build a training room for students using Archicad. build their soft and technical skills to complete this project. From inside an environment that became stressful at times, Sasha stepped up to be “Our firefighting course at the school needed a practice room to complete the one who focused on maintaining the team’s morale. its curriculum, so our principal came to us and asked if we could design it,” Michael said. “We met with the instructor and he told us what he “This project has really helped me with communicating with adults in needed in terms of supplies and what the room should look like.” a professional manner and working as a team with my friends,” Sasha said. “But there were times when things did get really difficult, so I’ve Michael said the training room is supposed to be a maze with adjustable tried to be the one who cheers everyone up and puts a smile on their walls so each practice run is never the same and ends with a door that face even when it feels like we aren’t making any progress.” a student must break down in order to extract a dummy. Technically, Raeden experienced the most growth in that area as he While she is part of this project, Sasha is also enrolled in the firefighting had zero experience with Archicad before working on this project. class, that upon completion, awards students a certificate allowing them to go straight into firefighting after high school. Her inside “I’d never worked with Archicad before and when I first looked at it, knowledge of the class helped guide Raeden in the designing phase it just looked like a lot of buttons and really confusing,” Raeden said. within Archicad. “After doing a lot of research and watching a lot of tutorials, it’s really helped me learn about architecture and potentially push me into that “I focused on designing the room and researching guidelines to ensure field.” that everything is the right size and has proper ventilation,” Raeden said. “When we finished our initial design, we took it to the instructor While the project is approaching its completion, Sasha reflected on who gave us a few changes to make. Now we have our Archicad blueprints how EAST provided her with a completely different educational printed out and are ready to assemble the room.” experience compared to her other classes and how it’s changed her perspective on school. The group acquired a $1,300 grant for supplies from the Arkansas Community Foundation, an effort that Aymslee led. “EAST is definitely a game changer,” Sasha said. “It’s been so eye-opening that in this class we can actually get something done and it will affect “We joke because we all never talk about who is the group leader, but the real world.” we all pretty much know who is,” Aymslee said. “I always end up being

EAST INSIGHT

Coat Conundrum BY BRADLEY BREWER Everyone remembers digging through a lost and found closet in school. Students can be forgetful, especially in their elementary years.

“We designed each of them with a hexagon shape and each student’s name engraved on the tag,” Carter said. “We’d prepare a batch and spend a day printing them out. When we finish a batch, we send them to Sulphur Rock Magnet Elementary School the parents and offer to print more if students are no exception to this rule, but needed.” two EAST students created a solution to trim down the need for the lost and found. This was the first experience with TinkerCAD for both students, so it took the duo roughly Fourth graders Carter Mae Hill and Carter two months to learn how to effectively use McKibben noticed that many students at the program and create the final design for their school made a habit of losing their the name tags. coats during a time of year when having them is so important. To help students keep “It took us weeks to figure out what shape track of their jackets, Carter and Carter Mae we wanted, how to create it and how to print tapped into the use of TinkerCAD. it correctly,” Carter said. “Because one small mistake would mess up the entire tag. If the “There were lots of lost coats sitting on the hole in the tag was too small and you couldn’t stage and no one would claim them,” Carter fit a keychain through it, it would all be for Mae said. “We originally wanted to create nothing.” stickers for the jackets but knew they’d come off easily, so we decided to 3D print tags since After learning how to use TinkerCAD they’re harder and more durable.” effectively, Carter and Carter Mae began teaching their peers how to use the program The nametags feature different colors unique as well. This not only helps spread their to each grade year. Each student will receive knowledge but also expedited the project by one tag for free. Parents have the opportunity equipping other students with 3D print new to purchase additional copies. tags.

“Something I find really cool is that Carter and Carter Mae taught other students how to use TinderCAD,” said Jenine Ottaway, Sulphur Rock Magnet Elementary School’s facilitator. “They showed other students how to replicate the design and really used their resources to get these printed.” Both students say they’ve fallen in love the 3D printing as a result of working on this project, and are interested in challenging themselves beyond creating nametags. “I love 3D printing, but I do want to make something different than a tag,” Carter Mae said. “We’re brainstorming on how we can partner with a hospital to make a 3D-printed replica of a bone for educational purposes, or maybe even something that can help patients.”

FALL 2023

Jerry Prince : on the Evolution of Technology and Education BY BRADLEY BREWER

Jerry Prince, EAST’s Vice President of IT, will celebrate his 20th anniversary as an employee of EAST Initiative this December. While Jerry has seen education and technology alike evolve tremendously over the last two decades, he first connected with EAST before the dawn of the 21st century.

How did you first get introduced to/involved with EAST? In 1999, I had just gotten my teaching certification. I was teaching one class of Journalism and overseeing five study halls on a modified contract. I was approached to exchange those study halls for EAST taking me to a full contract. While EAST was still relatively new, and I had never heard of it, it was an easy decision. When you first started with EAST, what popular technologies did people find exciting to work with? A lot of the tech that we have today didn’t exist two decades ago. Much of the creative and coding software we install in schools today didn’t exist. So, what does that leave? Architectural and mechanical CAD software, networking, animation, GPS/GIS, web design, and digital graphics. Web was popular. Animation was eye candy. GIS was impressive, though getting past the learning curve was tough. Over the last 20 years, how have you seen the technology that EAST installs into programs evolve? We have seen many things go digital, like video, photography and scanning/3D printers. Even more technologies have gone from the table-top to the desktop. The biggest change came in the simplicity of using the tools and in the availability of resources on how to use the tools. Programs became increasingly complex on one end of the scale, but also became more user-friendly on the other, opening a massive door of opportunity for the students. We saw a huge change in the amount of time and effort it took to take the very spark of an idea all the way through the building stage. We saw a similar change in the amount of time it was taking to move from simply having an idea to sharing the idea and seeing the possibilities of

EAST INSIGHT

what it can do. Where it once took hours, days, if not weeks, to get a dot on a map, all that can now be done relatively quickly on a smartphone (which also didn’t exist). What impact and opportunities are provided by implementing technology into classrooms? So much is available in EAST that students can tinker with minimal investment at the onset. Should they fall in love with the technology, the doors are wide open to travel great distances with minimal limitations. From the beginning, students were offered tools that only professionals used. This was a risk back then, but it is the standard in education now. This allows students to experiment and experience what industries use, and to connect them with professionals at a very early age to experience real-world problems and solutions. With such a wide range of tools available, students can find something they can become passionate about, invest some time and energy in, and get immediate positive feedback which brings confidence. The opportunity for failure in going through this process is also highly valuable. Education does not give many opportunities for students to experience positive growth from failure, yet persistence and perseverance are much-needed skills. Why do you love EAST? EAST is messy. EAST is chaotic. EAST is challenging. EAST is fun. EAST is rewarding. It is seldom all of those things happening at the same time. Working at EAST can be very similar to the EAST classroom. Over the years, I have had so many opportunities to test what we are teaching our facilitators, to experience what our students experience, to fail, to persist - all of those things. I love EAST because it gives time

in a classroom environment where time is precious. It can be life-changing, but it only is life-changing with investment. Doors opened for me in the organization just like I see doors opening for our students. Our success comes not just from the leadership but also from our staff, who are passionate and willing to trust the experiences we can have as an organization that helps us grow, just as we see in our students. I love EAST because it works - in a student’s third year in school or an EAST staff member 20 years in. What are some of the highlights that stick out to you when you think over the last 20 years at EAST? These can be personal or organizational. I didn’t know much about true teamwork until EAST. I have had so, so many experiences over the years. I have worked with so many great people. These people provided such a safety net for me that I could go out and try things, push the envelope, break things, crash and burn and still make progress. They have been so patient with some of my questions that come out of the blue. I have seen so many in our organization fine-tune their passion and do some amazing things. Where I am today just does not seem possible. Doors opened for me just as it has with others. It might not be when, or where, and it might not be a door that you are that interested in at the time - but hard work, dedication, failing forward, problem-solving and even problem creation, when mixed with the right team, can do some amazing things. I remember the risks taken that helped get us somewhere, but most of all, I remember the atmosphere that allowed me to ponder. What do you want your legacy to look like when you decide to retire? What impact do you hope you made personally in EAST and education as a whole? I suppose everyone wants to be remembered in some way. I honestly hope that the impact I have made is visible in decisions and actions more than in memory. I am quite okay with being forgotten as a person as long as its my influence that made a difference. A great facilitator is many things to a student just starting, but as that student grows, that facilitator’s role evolves and becomes less and less important - to the point that students can go on without them. I am a facilitator. The reward has been and still is seeing others get their start, grow and learn to move on, needing me less and less. Someday they are gone from my view, and someday I will be gone from theirs, but the impact we each made on each other never fades but pays forward to the next student or staff. What impact do you hope you made personally in EAST and education as a whole? We are emotional beings. Education can somehow stifle this. Caring makes us vulnerable. Trusting can lead to betrayal. Depending on others means your success can be in the hands of others. As a child, we want to be independent, make our own decisions, and eat cookies for breakfast. Yet, reward comes in serving others. Facilitation is doing all that you can to help someone else succeed even if it means staying out of the way, out of the spotlight, out of the story, out of the project, out of the brainstorming, out of the presentation. You might be in the shadows where others don’t see you, yet you can see your fingerprints on everyone you touched.

FALL 2023

An EAST-y Transition BY BRADLEY BREWER Three years ago, the EAST Board of Directors and EAST staff members launched the EAST Scholarship Fund. The fund eclipsed $100,000 in July of this year, ensuring EAST’s ability to financially support the journey of EAST students well beyond their high school graduation. This year, two EAST students from rural schools shined in their communities while diligently working in the classroom to be exemplary scholars. These students were awarded the EAST Student Scholarship. Susie Moysh of Lonoke High School is one of those students. Her excellence is no surprise, considering she’s been an EAST student since she moved to Arkansas from Utah.

EAST became an instant fit for Susie, who connected with the class’ approach of learning not from textbooks and paper tests, but through student-driven and service-based learning.

“

EAST projects become a way to express your voice and serve your community in a way that speaks to you.

”

“I love serving my community,” Susie said. “I was initially intimidated by the idea of starting an EAST project, but I realized there are infinite ways to approach it. EAST projects become a way to express your voice and serve your community Susie credits EAST as a significant reason why in a way that speaks to you.” she adjusted well to such a big move. She said she instantly could tell that EAST was where Susie became the student body president at she wanted to be. Lonoke her junior year. Organizing a Homecoming dance at the high school, helped fuel one of her “When I was touring the school, I walked into favorite EAST projects. the EAST classroom and could instantly tell how engaging and lively the environment was,” “We created our own formal attire library ahead Susie said. of the dance and received donations from everyone across the community,” Susie said. “The facilitator, Amanda Wicker, became like “We had well over 70 dresses and suits as well a second mom to me and was the mom of the as shoes for both boys and girls. I loved this project entire school through EAST. EAST was such because it helps so many people. I have five sisters, a safe place for everyone, and even I could feel so I know what it’s like not to be able to buy a that just after moving.” prom or homecoming dress every time.” 22

EAST INSIGHT

One of Susie’s greatest abilities is her ability to comfortably interact with others, which influenced her career path as she began studying public relations at the University of Central Arkansas in Fall of 2023. “I grew up loving sports, so I’d love to focus more on the sports side of things or just do general PR,” Susie said. “I’m a huge people person and love talking to people. It wasn’t until I started handling media responsibilities for the City of Lonoke and the Chamber of Commerce that I learned I loved that work area.” EAST opened the door for opportunities like her internship with the City of Lonoke and became a safe place for Susie as she settled into a new world over a thousand miles away from her first home. “I wouldn’t be as successful as I am without EAST,” Susie said. “I had a lot going for me in Utah, but EAST was set up to where I could instantly jump headfirst into the middle of the community. Mrs. Wicker always made me feel unstoppable, and the structure of the EAST program with the resources and connections that come with it helped me do things I never would have thought of.”

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CONGRATULATIONS, EAST STUDENTS, ON ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE

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Fourth Time’s A Charm BY BRADLEY BREWER

After four years of entering, Lindsay Cook chosen as the EAST Conference 2024 Logo Competition winner EAST Conference 2024 might take place in March, but preparations for EAST’s biggest week began immediately following last year’s Conference. And it all started with unveiling next year’s theme: “EAST Uncharted.”

“I feel like when most people hear the word ‘uncharted,’ they think of items like compasses,” Lindsay said. “So I wanted to stick with that, but at the same time, I didn’t want it to be super generic. When I think of charting, I think of star charts and constellations, so I thought implementing the moon phases Upon learning of the theme, EAST students into the design would be really cool.” began brainstorming what “EAST Uncharted” looks like in preparation for the logo After her selection as the winner, Lindsay competition — where any active EAST worked with EAST Initiative graphic student can compete to design the official designer Jocelyn Johnson for several weeks logo for the annual conference. to refine the logo through adjustments to the color scheme, fonts and more. This year’s competition winner is Lindsay Cook, an EAST student who graduated “We would talk about things we liked and from Buffalo Island Central High School in disliked about the logo, and she’d make a list Spring 2023, but went out with a bang by of things for me to try to change until we winning the competition she had entered narrowed it down to the final option,” Lindsay four times. said. “It was a lot of fun and I feel like I learned a lot about logo design and balance, “During the meeting when I learned that I and while we sometimes disagreed on won, I was wearing a mask because I wasn’t elements, I really like how it all ended up.” feeling well but you could still tell that I had the biggest smile on my face,” Lindsay said. Jocelyn said working with Lindsay was a “Afterwards, I immediately ran out into the smooth process as she was passionate and hallway to call my mom and tell her that I committed to her work on the logo. Lindsay did it!” and Jocelyn collaborated for almost three weeks refining the design. The EASTCon24 Logo Competition amassed 136 entries, one of the largest draws in “Working with Lindsay to refine her design competition history. Lindsay said she while staying true to her vision, has been immediately thought of a certain design one of my favorite projects that I have element when hearing “EAST Uncharted,” worked on thus far,” Jocelyn said. “Lindsay but wanted to take a different approach than is incredibly talented and I am excited to see many might take. how she grows as an artist as she continues her education in design.”

EAST INSIGHT

While Lindsay has now graduated high school and is planning to study graphic design at Arkansas State University, she plans to do what she can to attend next year’s conference to see her work come to life and reflect on her time in EAST. “When I started in EAST, I would pull clipart elements from Google Images and fill them in manually with straight lines in Photoshop,” Lindsay said. “This year, I’m working in Illustrator and creating all of my graphics myself. I’m doing everything efficiently and making every detail with pinpoint accuracy. I could feel that I was much better at what I was doing.”

Access this year’s Conference Branding Kit EASTconference.org

OFFICIAL 2024 EAST CONFERENCE LOGO

ADDITIONAL BRANDING ELEMENTS B A S E D O N L I N D S AY’S W I N N I N G D E S I G N

2 COLOR

BLACK & WHITE

SECONDARY

FAVICON

HASHTAG

FALL 2023

SUPPORT EAST CONFERENCE 2024 EAST Conference is a celebration that provides facilitators and students a space to showcase their incredible work and projects from the past year. We invite you to participate in Arkansas’ best education event by sponsoring and participating in this year’s Conference. If your organization’s future depends on finding passionate leaders with a track record of using technology to solve problems, you’ll want to get in front of our 3,500 students and the facilitators who are shaping the future.

Learn more at

EASTConference.org

EAST INSIGHT

Student Training EAST TRAINED

more than 7,000 students last year online and in-person in areas including

3D Printing - Troubleshooting & CAD Fundamentals Animation - VR & Unreal Engine Design/ Development - IOS & Android w/ MIT App Inventor Geospatial - Drone 101, Laser Scanning & ArcGIS Photography & 2D Design - Capture & Edit, Adobe Illustrator Soft Skills - Project Management & Public Speaking

7,164

NUMBER OF STUDENTS TRAINED ACROSS MORE THAN 110 UNQUE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES BOTH IN-PERSON AND ONLINE

440

TRAINING HOURS PROVIDED 330 (in-person) + 20 (virtual) + 90 (on-demand)

14,900

TRAINING HOURS EARNED

210

SCHOOLS REACHED

FALL 2023

Collaboration’s the name of the game with Project Zoo BY JAMIE MOODY

“Closure” may seem like an odd word to choose when describing what Jessica Deavult sees as a major benefit for both the Little Rock Zoo and EAST Initiative in terms of their collaborative partnership called Project Zoo. Deavult, the Little Rock Zoo’s Conservation Education Manager, serves as the lead for Project Zoo. “At its heart,” she said, “Project Zoo is really all about Project-Based Learning (PBL), which is one reason this partnership with EAST and its programs around Arkansas have been so successful.”

with each project. One of the challenges for the students is how they can create engaging enrichment for the animals – enrichment being anything that helps promote natural behaviors and supports those natural behaviors – then leaving it very open-ended for the students to address. Zoo staff take a backseat at this stage of the project, Deavult noted. The students are free to truly create and think without having potential solutions handed to them. Later, after the final proposals are chosen, Zoo staff will chime in with suggestions, but even then, trial and error is the name of the game.

We want to make sure students get closure, she said, as that is the final step in seeing PBL in action. “I think we have been “We still leave it open for them to design,” she said. “Our most reasonably successful with that this year, which is really successful projects are the ones who reach out with questions, exciting,” Deavult said. have the initiative to dig deeper in their research, and are receptive to feedback.” Project Zoo asks students to tackle a challenge the Zoo faces 28

EAST INSIGHT

In the 2022-2023 school year, 13 EAST programs across Arkansas participated in Project Zoo, noted Fred Rickert, EAST’s Program Coordinator for Special Projects. Themes for these projects included chicken nest boxes, 3D printed biofacts, and even a cart to move the Zoo’s African spurred thigh tortoise, Reptar. And as you might have guessed, moving a tortoise that can weigh over 100 pounds – is a slow process. “We don’t want to pick him up anymore,” Deavult said. “One, he’s too heavy for that, and two, we want him to have a choice to participate in programs. When he goes for a walk with his keeper, it’s at a tortoise’s pace.”

“Collaboration is very high on the list in terms of how we move this partnership forward. Collaboration will allow us to leverage other entities to strengthen the products students are able to create and to bridge a gap in capacity on the Zoo’s end,” she said. “We want to make sure we’re maintaining these relationships and increasing the percentage of project completions so students really feel like they’re having a big impact at their local zoo.” “That’s huge for them – to be able to say ‘I’ve produced something that will be used at my local zoo and has had a positive impact on wildlife.”

In an effort to help move things along, students from the Academies at Rivercrest are working with Reptar’s keepers to build him a special cart. It’s in the seemingly simple projects - like building a cart for a tortoise - where Deavult sees some of the real and most immediate value from the partnership with EAST. “The Zoo is able to expand its resources collaborating with students who are talented and creative,” she said. “The students are able to work with the keepers to develop something useful. In return, students are helping with a very real need, and they’re able to overlay student ingenuity with technology to figure out how to make the whole process more efficient.” Deavult and Rickert are looking forward to continuing Project Zoo into this school year and beyond. Deavult said it’s important to maintain solid collaboration among the partners while making sure the students get the closure they deserve at the end of the year.

FALL 2023

‘A Profound Impact:’ The City of Keo & EAST at England High BY JAMIE MOODY

Keo, Ark., Mayor Stephanie White might be EAST’s biggest evangelist. White is crushing stereotypes of what mayors should look and act like in this tiny blink-and-you-miss-it town along Highway 70 at the doorstep to the Arkansas Delta. Unorthodox is where White thrives, and her leadership style is a direct reflection of that. But that unorthodox leadership style makes things happen in this town of 307. No, that’s not a typo. Keo is actually smaller than small, and shrinking, according to the US Census Bureau. Kids who live in Keo attend school five miles down the road in England. It’s also part of what led White to JR Deniz’s EAST classroom at England High School. When the city needed a presentation created for a citizen-led program, White reached out to Deniz and a beautiful partnership was born.

EAST INSIGHT

Why EAST? Why not EAST? Kids and service are a winning combination! These students are the present and future of our community. What a blessing to meet them young and build relationships by engaging and challenging them to solve problems and contribute toward their community. In our small rural area, community exceeds the city limits and encompasses our entire area. Our first collaboration, obtaining funding for broadband, was not successful. That was a great lesson to demonstrate perseverance to bring about change. What an honor to use my time, transparency and leadership to empower the next generation of citizens and leaders.

Broadband, crosswalk, helping with the Pecan Festival… what else are these kids responsible for in Keo? Seen and unseen outcomes: Decals for the Fire Department, GIS mapping of water lines, Livestream AR Ag Harvest Recap, decorated Main St. for Christmas. They are really responsible for renewing my faith in the next generation and opening my eyes to the importance of considering youth in every decision I make and plan for the future. They are ambassadors for their school and have welcomed me to more than just EAST functions. I’ve only been involved with EAST for one school year thus far and look forward to working with them for as long as they oblige.

As the mayor, how would you explain to someone the impact that these kids are having on your community? The impact EAST has on our community is profound. “How can EAST be a part of this?” That is the question that gets asked at meetings and planning sessions. We usually have our own ideas, but when taken back to the students, their spin is sometimes totally different and always 200% better than we imagined! I describe the EAST program and students as the best partners a small town leader could ever have. Kids, fresh ideas, innovation, and working together for the greater good, not much better than that.

If you had to describe EAST to someone, what would you say? The EAST program is a true blessing to the school and community. I think if you want to know what our future holds, go meet the students where they are, invite them to make a difference in their community, ask them for ideas and assistance, nurture/empower/believe in them, there is everything to gain from this. I, for one, have seen our future, the brightness is blinding! EAST is a genius (said objectively) concept to enable kids to brainstorm and work on real world needs and problems in their own communities. Out of a classroom, breaking down barriers, and by increasing capacity everyone benefits from EAST.

FALL 2023

Measuring student engagement levels in the project-based learning classroom and beyond with the Wellington Engagement Index BY JAMIE MOODY

The EAST Initiative believes students are the experts in understanding their own educational experience. As such, EAST recognizes that growth is connected to a student’s desire to “buy in” or engage with a class. This has led to research regarding the accurate measurement of student engagement and growth and introduced us to a tool known as the Wellington Engagement Index (WEI). The Wellington Engagement Index is a tool that empowers students to provide feedback on their level of engagement in each of their classes through a short assessment, which can be applied six or more times each year. Instead of asking students to rate various aspects of their classes on a scale of 1-5, students see a grid. The vertical axis represents challenge, and the horizontal axis represents enjoyment.

EAST INSIGHT

Students place each of their classes on this grid according to how challenged they feel, as well as how much they love the experience. Throughout the 2022-2023 school year, EAST collected data from 3,444 students at 42 different school programs regarding their learning experiences. EAST students showed an 80% engagement rating for their classes. EAST has been working with WEI since 2018, starting with an initial cohort of 500 students. This initial group set out to learn more about student engagement in EAST programs and in traditional content-driven courses. WEI asks two simple questions: how much do students

“

love each class, and how challenging do they find each class? Students who feel both challenged by a class and love it simultaneously are “engaged.” Utilizing this tool, EAST has developed a professional learning community that provides relevant training for our facilitators, EAST Program Coordinator for Site Support Rinda Hall said.

students do not feel challenged nor do they enjoy those classes. And dots in the lower right quadrant (Q4) represent students’ feeling “entertained,” meaning that while they do not feel particularly challenged, students do enjoy those classes.

Facilitator shared experiences are vital for enhancing the student educational experience. These discussions supply the fuel that carries over beyond talking about it within the PLC and turning it into reality in the classroom. “While traditional core classes meet as departments within school professional learning communities (PLC), our EAST facilitators are singletaries until they work with our Wellington PLC,” Hall said. “The Wellington community gives facilitators the opportunity to be part of a cohesive group that is also immersed in EAST. This lends itself to greater shared opportunities among the group. “Facilitator shared experiences are vital for enhancing the student educational experience. These discussions supply the fuel that carries over beyond talking about it within the PLC and turning it into reality in the classroom. This really gives our facilitators the opportunity to continue enhancing the educational experience for EAST students,” she said. Wellington helps facilitators make data-driven decisions for their students and programs, Hall said. Each green dot on the chart represents a dot placed by a student for a class. These dots cannot be tied back to a particular student. The blue diamond represents the school’s average placement (an average of all the X/Y coordinates). WEI categorizes the upper right quadrant (Q1) as “engaged,” meaning students feel challenged and enjoy those classes. “Grind” refers to the upper left quadrant (Q2), meaning students feel challenged but do not enjoy their experience in those classes. Dots in the lower left quadrant (Q3) are labeled as “bored,” meaning

”

WEI seeks to identify the engagement point where students love a challenging task. The tool avoids linguistic bias and delves into the realm of engagement, residing between cognition and emotion. By filtering the data using various factors such as gender, race, grade levels, and types of activities, WEI provides a more complex understanding of student engagement. It aids teachers in strengthening their relationship with their classes - beyond conventional measures like test scores and administrative observations - leading to a deeper understanding of student experiences and needs. Ultimately, WEI fosters a culture of trust in schools, where student voices are valued and insights are used to enhance the overall learning environment.

Rinda Hall has been with EAST for 8 years. She coordinates the Wellington Engagement Index within EAST programs. For more information and how to bring this to your program, email rinda@EASTstaff.org

FALL 2023

Application period now open for EAST grant funding LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Aug. 31, 2023) – The EAST Initiative on Thursday announced the opening of the 2024-2025 EAST recruiting season for consideration in awarding the Department of Secondary Education /Arkansas Department of Education-EAST Grant. Startup funding is available for more than 10 new EAST programs for the 2024-2025 school year. Funding from the grant will cover technology needed to install a full EAST classroom environment, and will cover some professional development that is required in the EAST curriculum. Arkansas schools considering implementation of EAST in the next school year should fill out the form found at https://news.eastlink.me/nextstep. Applications will be accepted until December 15. “EAST is excited about the opportunity to grow our network and to continue expanding the capacity of students and leaders to work together in finding solutions beyond school walls,” EAST Chief Executive Officer Matt Dozier said. “Students are better prepared to succeed beyond the school walls when provided the opportunities to demonstrate their innovative ideas as practical reality. It goes beyond volunteering. EAST truly is education accelerated through service and technology.” During the 22-23 school year, EAST programs: - Collaborated with 1,285 community partners for more than 17,990 volunteer hours; - Realized an estimated economic impact statewide of more than $461,620 dollars through those volunteer hours; - And trained more than 7,610 students through 110 unique training opportunities both online and in-person. EAST students are engaged and excited about learning, Dozier said, pointing to data recently released by the Arkansasbased nonprofit. In a survey of more than 3,400 students across 42 schools, data showed that the EAST experience is 22% more engaging than other core courses. The survey was conducted through a tool called the Wellington Engagement Index (WEI). Created by educators, WEI was designed to measure student engagement, and to give administrators and teachers opportunities for reflection as they challenge students to solve real problems in their communities. “Thanks to generous funding opportunities provided by DESE, EAST will continue to grow,” Dozier said. “Arkansas students will have access to the tools and technology needed to solve the challenges of today.” If you need assistance or have questions that need immediate attention, please reach out to Tami Baker with EAST at 501-472-7852 or tami@eaststaff.org.

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