2021 EAST CORNERSTONE AWARD WINNERS
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2021 EAST FOUNDER’S AWARD WINNERS
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Hear from Cross County High School, Lakeside High School (Hot Springs), & Clinton High School
Spring 2021 QUARTERLY
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ISSUE
Q & A’s with Sonora Middle School, Harrisburg Middle School, & Mountain Home Career Academies
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WELCOME TO THE NETWORK
EAST onboards eight new programs for the 21-22 academic year
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Save the Date
EAST Seminar 2021 Wednesday, July 21 - Friday July 23, 2021 DoubleTree by Hilton in Fort Smith, AR EAST Seminar is required professional development for EAST facilitators with at least one full year of EAST classroom experience. The event is designed to empower facilitators with an opportunity to network, collaborate, and discover. Participants optimize their time by choosing educational experiences, including presentations by subject matter experts, round table discussions, workshops, and interactive sessions that are relevant to their program’s growth.
We are providing two EAST Seminar experiences: EAST Seminar Live Facilitators will attend EAST Seminar live and in-person.
Call for Speakers Do you have a topic of interest that you would like to share with EAST Seminar participants? Do you know an engaging speaker that might make a great addition to our presenter roster? Please share your thoughts and suggestions below. All proposals will be reviewed and selected based on training needs, including topic and technology requirements.
EAST Seminar On-Demand Facilitators will have access to some session recordings via the Digital Content Library, available after the live event.
Q. What is EAST looking for in a good speaker? A. Encourage participation and engage the audience. Inspire and empower educators. Be relevant and choose a trending topic. Show, don’t tell - demonstrate the use of technology. Be inclusive and choose co-speakers who represent diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Be neutral - don’t sell a brand, sell an idea. Align with the EAST model of education.
Q. What are EAST facilitators interested in learning? A. Community engagement, brainstorming strategies, EAST project ideas, team & culture building, classroom management,
>> Sign
Up Today @
EASTlink.me/SeminarSpeakers
project management, student motivation & engagement, virtual best practices (i.e. team building, online tools, etc.), new technology, grant writing, live streaming, app creation, filmmaking, 3D printing & scanning, CAD, augmented & virtual reality, Adobe, photography, etc.
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For more information about the event, please visit EASTseminar.org.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Greetings and Salutation EAST Fam! *Sings to the tune of R.E.M.* It’s the end of the year as we know it! It’s the end of the year as we know it! … Who knows the actual song? Check it out on Spotify R.E.M. - “End of the World.” It’s definitely NOT the end of the world, but it is the end of a school year that many of you created a whole new world for yourselves to learn in. Whether you attended school virtually, in-person, or hybrid, you made it. WE made it! Let’s give ourselves a round of applause. *cues Lady Gaga I Live for the Applause* Music has been a large part of what has kept me motivated, but another part was all the new things we accomplished in EAST. This issue highlights some great projects and students and the success of EAST’s first virtual Day of Giving! I invite you to throw on some music and peruse a few pages! I hope you find it as inspirational as I have! It’s basically the summer, and we’ve all earned this break! Let me know what’s on your playlist right now (Apryl@EASTstaff.org). I’ve listed a few of my current favorites below!
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Featuring Cross County High School, Lakeside High School (Hot Springs), & Clinton High School
Aurora - “Running with the Wolves” Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar, & Giveon - “Peaches” Fitz and The Tantrums - “HandClap” Harry Styles - “Watermelon Sugar” Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak - “Leave the Door Open”
Apryl Jackson Communications Coordinator
QUARTERLY
fb.me/EASTinitiative
6215 Ranch Dr. Little Rock, AR 72223 501.371.5016 EASTinitiative.org communications@EASTstaff.org
@theEASTinitiative
@EASTinitiative
EAST Initiative
2021 EAST CORNERSTONE AWARD WINNERS
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WELCOME TO THE NETWORK
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TELLING OUR STORY
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GOING OUT WITH A BANG
Sonora Middle School 2021 Founder’s Award Winners
Harrisburg Middle School 2021 Founder’s Award Winners
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FOUR YEARS IN THE MAKING
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EAST DAY OF GIVING 2021
MAGAZINE TEAM Editor - Apryl Jackson Designer - Kristen Farmin
news.eastlink.me/podcast
EAST Initiative
Eight new EAST programs for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Mountain Home Career Academies 2021 Founder’s Award Winners
Look What You Accomplished!
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.
Read this and previous issues online at news.EASTlink.me/EQ SPRING 2021 | EAST QUARTERLY
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COMMUNITY & COLLABORATION: A CORNERSTONE OF EAST
Cross County High School - A New Tech School
To learn more about EAST @CCHS, follow them on social media! EAST at Cross County High School
really had fun celebrating that with our community and with EAST. We were really excited that this project was completed and was able to serve its purpose to help teach virtually. What would take your projects to the next level?
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eet the EAST Conference team of Cross County High School, the Cornerstone Community and Collaboration award recipients for 2021. What does that mean, you ask? It means that these students have demonstrated excellence through projects and service that have enhanced their learning and the lives of the members of their community. Here’s what they had to say about telling their story this year! How did you decide what category of Cornerstone you were going to submit for? We didn’t really select a category; we just focused on telling our story and let the judges interpret that part. After receiving notice, we were awarded the Community and Collaboration Cornerstone. We rewatched our submission video. It was immediately clear to us that it was definitely the story we told. What category would be a close second for your program? Possibly Student Growth. This year we were a very young program, and 70% of our students were first-year EAST students; partly because of the options for virtual learning and seniors having the ability to leave school early. Once our first years were onboarded, so to speak, we really pushed some of them to get out of their comfort zone quickly. Our few veteran EAST students were propelled into leadership roles and had to learn quickly, not only for their projects, but to help others develop and grow.
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EAST QUARTERLY | EASTinitiative.org
How did it feel knowing that you won prior to conference this year? It took a ton of stress off of preparing for EAST Conference. We have won a Cornerstone award in the past and have been finalists in more than one Cornerstone competition area in the same year. Preparing for that can be a struggle. Knowing ahead of time allowed our students to enjoy the EAST Conference instead of being nervous or tied up working on their presentations. Share with us how you told your community partners, school admins, and family members about the award and some of their responses and reactions. When we found out that we won, we were actually in the middle of an almost twoweek snow break. Even though that meant we weren’t at school together to celebrate, we were able to let our families watch the announcement and celebrate with us. Our school administrators congratulated us before we had the opportunity to tell them! Our community partners were beyond proud. Almost every community partner we worked with this year were businesses or organizations we have worked with in the past. When we won this award, most partners were proud they got to work with us and were glad to see how the work we did with them throughout the year paid off. Out of all the projects that you highlighted, what was the team’s favorite? Probably our Waterways Project; that project really took off this year and we have
As our younger students mature and gain experience, we should start seeing our projects do the same. We have some great community partners and sponsors who help us anytime we need, but we try to reserve those requests until absolutely necessary. We have students working on several projects currently that may, over the summer and into fall, grow in a way that will push beyond where many of our projects reached this year. Are you applying to be a part of the Founder’s Circle next year? Absolutely! We have been fortunate in our successes with the Cornerstone and Founder’s application process over the past several years. We reached the Founder’s Circle our first year applying (this was the last year they chose one overall winner) and have since won the Student Growth and the Community and Collaboration Cornerstones, and have been a finalist several times. While the goal isn’t to win, the idea that it’s possible has definitely contributed to our students’ drive to work and develop great projects. The goal isn’t to win every year but to push ourselves to that place in our work and be excited to celebrate it.
THE CCHS EAST TEAM Lexi Jarrett: 3 years in EAST, 9th Grade Macie McCommon: 2.5 years in EAST, 9th Grade Ciara Stephens: 3 years in EAST, 9th Grade Drew Sides: 5 years in EAST, 11th Grade Gabee Hively: 4 years in EAST, 12th Grade Jonia Patterson: 2 years in EAST, 8th Grade Kale Searcy: 1 year in EAST, 7th Grade Bo Cook: 2 years in EAST, 9th Grade
PROJECT SOPHISTICATION & INNOVATION: A CORNERSTONE OF EAST
Lakeside High School - Hot Springs
How did you decide what category of Cornerstone you were going to submit for? EAST Team: The team wanted to submit for the Founder’s Award but decided to submit materials for a Cornerstone category instead.The team created a video with edge to really show the innovation of our program. We knew that we had a real chance at winning this Cornerstone category if we were not selected for Founder’s. What category would be a close second for your program?
THE LHS - HOT SPRINGS EAST TEAM
Ben Willard: 11th Grade
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Evan Meyers: 11th Grade Adrian Arias: 11th Grade Sarah Nutt: 11th Grade Christian Lambaren: 10th Grade Reese Vines: 9th Grade Sabrina Bledsoe: 9th Grade Abby Brown: 9th Grade Brody Luke: 9th Grade Tre’Von Toatley: 9th Grade Joshua Weed: 9th Grade Emily Frick: 9th Grade John Stokes: Facilitator
eet the EAST Conference team of Lakeside High School - Hot Springs, the recipients of the Cornerstone Award for Project Innovation and Sophistication. What does that fancy phrase mean? It means that these students have demonstrated excellence through projects and service with a high level of technology that has enhanced their learning and the lives of the members of their community. Here’s what they had to say about being well supported and how it helped them reach their goals.
Reece: The program is built on the EAST principles, so we reflect all three, but if we had to choose, it would be Community and Collaboration since we could still meet and work with partners in the middle of the pandemic. How did it feel knowing that you won prior to conference this year? Sabrina: Winning is always a feeling of justification. Having it announced before the EAST Conference is great because people know that you have won and can seek help or advice on their projects from your team. Share with us how you told your community partners, school admins, and family members about the award and some of their responses and reactions. Josh: Our administration, community partners, and families of our students have had a rough year. People are tired, stressed, and nervous about school-related things that have shifted due to the pandemic. The highlight for us was about showing that education is still working and what they are helping us do has meaning. It provided a
pause to the feeling of being constantly on edge. This means that we have grown as a program winning the first award in EAST at Lakeside. It means something really big for us. Out of all the projects that you highlighted, what was the team’s favorite? Tre’Von: We are very territorial over our projects, so we all feel that our projects are the best; however, if we had to pick the one that got the most interest from the conference attendees, that was the Ram Ridge Bike Trail. It was awesome to see the interest. What would take your projects to the next level? Sarah: Projects can always be better; Mr. Stokes says there is always something that can enhance it. We think the next step to enhance our program would be to develop an advisory board. The input from the community and our partners would be a great addition to our planning and project outcomes. Are you applying to be a part of the Founder’s Circle next year? Evan: We have been working very hard to grow the program. We always have the Founder’s Award as a goal. Since Mr. Stokes began teaching here, he has changed the culture. He is a goal-oriented person, and he stresses the importance of planning and following through. We have done big projects successfully and impressed the community. They are noticing the program. Our clients have noticed the skills and services we extend, and they see a program they can be proud of. We are looking for ways to increase the number of our customers, and we are very hopeful that EAST will see our efforts. I think that every EAST Program wants a Founder’s Award, and we are no exception. We have received some awards from organizations outside of EAST, and that recognition is awesome, but we would love to represent EAST and Garland County as a Founder’s Winner.
To learn more about EAST @ LHS, follow them on social media! Lakeside School District SPRING 2021 | EAST QUARTERLY
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To learn more about EAST @CHS, follow them on social media! EAST at Clinton High School
STUDENT GROWTH & ENGAGEMENT:
A CORNERSTONE OF EAST Clinton High School
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eet the EAST Conference team of Clinton High School, recipients of the Cornerstone Award in exemplifying Student Growth for 2021. What does that mean, you ask? It means that these students have demonstrated their growth through projects with more technology and community connections and developed their unique skill sets to be better servant leaders. Here’s what they had to say about telling their story this year! How did you decide what category of Cornerstone you were going to submit for? EAST Team: We apply for the top two awards, Founder’s and Cornerstone, every year. We usually create a video that tells our story and hope for the best. This year the team knew that our program had experienced a good amount of student growth, and we felt confident that we could demonstrate that through our video. What category would be a close second for your program? David: Probably Community and Collaboration. All of the projects we presented this year had at least one community partner and a client.
THE CHS EAST TEAM David Saavedra: 5 years in EAST, 12th Grade Alex Prosser: 4 years in EAST, 12th Grade Mason Corley: 3 years in EAST, 12th Grade Ian Thompson: 4 years in EAST, 12th Grade Anna Belle Reece: 3 years in EAST, 11th Grade Sarah Scroggins: 3 years in EAST, 11th Grade Silas Chamberlain: 4 years in EAST, 10th Grade Daniel Andrus: 3 years in EAST, 11th Grade
How did it feel knowing that you won prior to conference this year? Silas: It felt very rewarding. It was a nice reassurance that all of our hard work is appreciated. Jennifer Fleming, Facilitator: It was great knowing we won in advance because going into the conference we could have more time to concentrate on the other preparations and just celebrate our win. I think it took a lot of pressure off of the students. Share with us how you told your community partners, school admins, and family members about the award and some of their responses and reactions.
them time to move to shelter. Alex: The Van Buren County Museum website is my favorite project because we helped an older part of the town connect to the internet. Now, they have a way to communicate with the rest of the community. Sarah: My favorite project was the Bus App. I really liked this project because a bus driver has an extremely important job of getting students to and from school, which is a lot of responsibility. Ensuring they know where they are going to be getting students is important. I also liked it because the school has peace of mind that their students and bus drivers drive safely and are not in danger.
Mason: Anna Belle posted the announcement on our social media and shared the information with Ms. Hutchins (who does all school social media). Ms. Fleming texted Mr. Smith, who spoke the following week at the school board meeting and told the board of our achievement. When the banner arrived, we hung it outside and at the front of the school for everyone driving by to see. We also posted the announcement in our local newspaper. Everyone was super excited and proud of our accomplishment.
What would take your projects to the next level?
Out of all the projects that you highlighted, what was the team’s favorite?
Silas: Yes, I think we should apply next year. I believe it is important to apply every year and at least go through the process because of the positive impact of the application process on our EAST program and students.
Silas: The Tornado Shelter/Siren project is my favorite. Where I used to live, I couldn’t hear the tornado sirens whatsoever. With this project, people will know when a tornado is near them because tornadoes are dangerous, and people need as much preparation as possible. This project gives
David: More communication and better organization; we need more communication within the team to see where we are each day and make sure we are making progress each week. Another thing that could help us is funding to get the resources we need for our more advanced projects. Are you applying to be a part of the Founder’s Circle next year?
Not even a pandemic
Can Stop EAST From
ACCELERATING EAST onboards eight new schools for the 21-22 academic year
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rom the town of Greers Ferry to the community of Ouachita River with a virtual academy in between, the expansion of EAST continues to bring access and elevation to schools around the state. Each program receives industry-grade technology, significant professional development for facilitators (teachers who manage in the EAST environment) and administrators, access to over 70 specialized student technology trainings, and real-world experiences that the students use to pursue projects based on their interests and career goals.
Superintendent of schools for Ouachita River School District, Jerrall Stranser shared,
“We could not be more excited to start the EAST Program at Acorn High School! Eight years ago we had the vision to start EAST and now the time is right for us to begin. Our mission at Acorn High School is to help prepare students for life. We know our new EAST Program will help us live up to our mission!”
Join EAST in welcoming the following! Acorn High School Arkansas Virtual Academy High School Arkansas Virtual Academy Middle School Des Arc High School Fulbright Junior High School (Bentonville School District)
Jonesboro International Studies Magnet School Lakeside Junior High School (Lakeside School District - Hot Springs) West Side Elementary School (West Side School District - Greers Ferry)
SPRING 2021 | EAST QUARTERLY
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TELLING OUR STORY
2021 FOUNDER’S AWARD WINNER SONORA MIDDLE SCHOOL
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veryone has a story and the students of EAST at Sonora Middle School are no different! This year they shared their story with their peers, community, district leadership, and ultimately the EAST network and found themselves to be one of the recipients of the 2021 EAST Conference Founder’s award.
MEET THE SMS EAST TEAM Guadalupe Granados: 3 years in EAST, 7th Grade Zane Turner : 2 years in EAST, 7th Grade Katelyn Spurlock: 6 years in EAST, 7th Grade Colee Ratchford: 5 years in EAST, 7th Grade Dixie Stevens: 2 years in EAST, 7th Grade Corbin Sandy: 6 years in EAST, 7th Grade Meredith Villanueva: 3 years in EAST, 6th Grade Sala Jongewaard: 3 years in EAST, 6th Grade Natalie Robles: 4 years in EAST, 7th Grade Emily Parks: 4 years in EAST, 6th Grade Laura Capacho: 2 years in EAST, 7th Grade Liah Tovar: 2 years in EAST, 7th Grade
Founder’s is a self-nominated award. Who or what planted the seed that you all should nominate yourself? Mr. Ratchford: It is just our mindset that we will apply for Founder’s every year even if we are not eligible or don’t think we have done as much as we could have. It really helps them see our whole program, evaluate what classmates have been working on and come together as a conference team to prepare for the EAST conference. It forces us to get organized and to practice telling our story. Guadalupe: This year especially, Mr. Ratchford pushed us to meet deadlines and encouraged us to be better every day. No one says that we are doing this to win Founder’s. We just did it to tell our story.
Which project highlighted in the nomination and presentation was... ...The favorite project of the group?
Zane: “Fish or Friends” was easily our favorite but probably our most difficult too. Katelyn: We are using an underwater drone to try and locate an endangered species of fish. It’s always fun to try new
things and get outside to learn, but it isn’t just about the underwater drone. Colee: We are also using ArcGIS to map and look at buffer zones around the rock quarry. We are building seismic sensors with an Arduino to measure impact on their habitat from the dynamite blasts mainly because the fish we are locating use vibrations in the water to see.
...The most impactful project for the group? Dixie and Corbin: Braylon’s Capri 1000. In this one, we think it had more of an impact on our group than it did our client. Braylon is such an inspirational kid to talk to. He motivated us to learn things and do things and reach out to others more than we have in the past. We learned so much working for him and with him. He made a huge difference in how we will do EAST in the future.
...The most impactful project for the community? Meredith and Sala: We made an effort this year to make sure all of our projects positively impacted the community.
COVID brought many challenges. We decided to put the community at the top of our list in terms of importance; you could say all of them in a way. But it was enjoyable to work with ALL of our teachers and principals and get recognized as a Diamond School to Watch because of our work on the SMS 360 project. It was fun to see our teachers and our school differently. We got to see what goes into virtually teaching because of linking their lessons and videos into the tour.
Have you applied for Founder’s in the past? If not, what made you feel prepared/qualified this year to do so? Emily: Yes, we have had the opportunity to apply for Founder’s in the past. We also won the overall award two years ago with three other amazing programs that we learned a lot from. Like me, some of our team were a part of the Founder’s winning team last year at Sonora Elementary. This year was different, though. Even though the requirements were the same, we had to look at it a little differently because of COVID. Our biggest issue was meeting with our group and never knowing who might be out of school. It was nice having a group that understands deadlines and planning. We had a lot of that on our team this year, so we could get it in on time when it came to videos, scrips, and submissions.
Out of all the technology used, what piece of technology was your favorite and why? Colee: Our favorite technology was the underwater drone because we get to experience a technology that not everybody gets to use. As a program, we think that if it is a technology that not everyone is using, we should utilize that technology, and we should do inspiring stuff with it so that others might want to try and get one too for their community.
What was the most complicated piece of technology to navigate? Katelyn: ArcGIS was not easy for us because we were not familiar with it; however, as we have grown as students, we got the hang of it. I think you could also say that the Arduino was pretty difficult, but luckily we had six projects using it so we could ask each other for help.
If you could pitch a project to a business to establish an international partnership, who would it be and why? Guadalupe: Samsung, because it’s an international business but also they have already helped us grow our program already so much. When you are a finalist in the Samsung competition, they provide your class with a Samsung Engineer as a consultant that can answer questions and help you with things like your coding and project development. We would love to continue working with them on our projects.
Please share with us how you told your community partners, school admins, and family members about the award and some of their responses and reactions. Natalie: We primarily used social media. We were not at school when the announcement was made, so it was fun to get the email from Mr. Ratchford and the notifications on our social media accounts. When we got back to school, Dr. Dodson, our Principal, sent it out in a newsletter to our whole school, and it was cool to see others talking about what we do in EAST and why we enjoy it so much. We also had a very nice parent buy our whole program a huge cake and ice cream, and we got to celebrate together spaced out in our cafeteria. They were all proud of us, and we hope to do it again next time we are eligible.
What would you like our audience to know about you, your school, or EAST? Laura: Our teachers care about us and our success not just at Sonora but in everything we do. We have ten house teams within our school, and three of them this year are considered Innovation Academy teams, where we do hands-on learning and projects in every subject. Most importantly, that Sonora is a place of opportunity. We take EAST because we care, and our community cares about what we can do. We take action with the problems near us.
Follow east @ Sonora middle! EAST at Sonora Middle School @spartan_east @EASTatSMS
What is the focus now that Conference is over? Zane: Now that EAST conference is over, our goal is to prepare our 6th graders. Because next year they will have the opportunity to go to Hot Springs, which is more challenging when you have to present in front of all those people. So then those new 7th graders can prepare the new 6th graders and so on. Each year our program will grow more, so we want to keep our projects going and help others in need.
What advice would you give to a school applying for the first time? Colee: Have confidence and don’t doubt yourself. It seems nerve-wracking, but you need to take chances in order to be a leader. And also, have fun with it, get to know your EAST team, show what you are made of, and share it. Work together and be sure to have your greatest projects upfront. Don’t leave any out because even those small projects build up your team.
What advice would you give to a school that is applying for the second or third time? Katelyn: Do something different. Push yourself and try some new type of technology. Don’t just keep doing the same thing, and have fun. Guadalupe: Look at those that won, what did they do that you didn’t, what could you improve on to show that you are a Founder’s winner.
What does the EAST Conference 2022 theme “Build UP” mean to you? Dixie: I think that is about a lot of the things that we have done this year. No matter what the world brings, you have to keep building. You have to keep growing and building up everyone around you. This year, it was not easy to stay positive, and we could have crumbled, but we focused on our foundation first and looked at what EAST was truly about, kept building up from there, and building up as a program can help with everyone as a team. SPRING 2021 | EAST QUARTERLY
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going out with a bang
2021 FOUNDER’S AWARD WINNER harrisburg MIDDLE SCHOOL MEET THE SMS EAST TEAM Corbin Barker: 4 years in EAST, 6th Grade Madisyn Brazile: 4 years in EAST, 6th Grade Kylie Garrison: 4 years in EAST, 6th Grade Adalen Kocher: 3 years in EAST, 6th Grade Gabby Nunez: 4 years in EAST, 6th Grade Jessie Dale: 4 years in EAST, 7th Grade Klaire Harper: 1 year in EAST, 7th Grade William Rowton: 5 years in EAST, 7th Grade Axson Wallace: 1 year in EAST, 7th Grade
FOllow EAST @ Harrisburg EAST at Harrisburg High School @EASTatHarrisburgHighSchool 8
EAST QUARTERLY | EASTinitiative.org
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eet the 2021 EAST Conference Team from Harrisburg Middle School! This group knew that their program would be closing out this year due to changes in the school district. Rather than be dismayed, they used this as an opportunity to rally and boost morale by applying for the coveted Founder’s Award. One team member said it best. This group is “going out with a bang” and leaving a mark on Harrisburg Middle School history as the last EAST Conference team.
Founder’s is a self-nominated award. Who or what planted the seed that you all should nominate yourself? Jessie: Our student leadership team looked at our projects and saw that we had a variety of clients and software usage. We had been tracking our projects all year and knew who had lots of success. We were impressed with our lists and decided to apply for Founders.
Which project that was highlighted in the nomination and presentation was... ...The most challenging project for the group? Klaire: Our Unity simulation was difficult because we had to learn how to use the mechanics of the program. We used online tutorials and then reached out to a specialist for a training because we knew we needed lots of help.
...The favorite project of the group? Stream Team Axson: Our work with Lake Poinsett State Park and the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission is an ongoing project that has spanned several years. With the lake being restored and water finally being added, we were able to collaborate this year to plant trees. When we, the seventh and eighth graders, return to the newly combined high school in the fall (2021) and water levels are finally at their highest, we’ll be testing water quality and assisting park officials by collecting drone imagery, using Photoshop to edit pictures, and using Final Cut Pro to create and edit videos.
...The most impactful project for the group? Second Chance Ranch Adalen: We were so excited about this project because it’s adding a bit of happiness to kids’ lives. There are times when kids are put into foster care directly from school. They don’t have an opportunity to take their family pictures, stuffed animals, their belongings, etc. These kids are having to begin a new chapter in their lives with nothing from their past. We worked with the Second Chance Ranch staff to find out what these kids enjoy. We made a collage that included their special images and printed those for each child. With these pictures posted in their new space, these graphics are helping them feel like they’re home and they belong.
...The most impactful project for the community? 360 School Tour Kylie: This project was the most impactful project to the community because it helps the local police find their way around the school and locate certain places on our school campus in the event of an emergency. We used the Ricoh Theta S 360 camera to get full imagery shots of our school campus. We placed those videos in an ArcGIS map for officers to have visuals of each classroom. We hope they never have to use this web app but it’s prepared in case they need it.
Have you applied for Founder’s in the past? If not what made you feel prepared/qualified this year to do so? Karla Garrison, Facilitator: We have applied for Founder’s multiple times in the past and we’ve experienced both sides of the coin. We’ve enjoyed the Founder’s Award honors before and we’ve also endured some major disappointments when we weren’t selected as finalists or winners. But it never hurts to try. Klaire: Our facilitator told us how previous students organized their information. We learned that the Founder’s deadlines are always early in the year and we should start sorting through our pictures, videos, resources, etc., early in the year. We did that and learned that our Conference experience was much less stressful because we already had the majority of our work completed and knew where our materials were.
Out of all the technology used, what piece of technology was your favorite and why? Kylie: Our projects involved a lot of different software programs but we all chipped in and learned to use photo editing software. Some used online versions and others used Adobe Photoshop to complete our Founder’s application.
What was the hardest piece of technology to navigate? Axson: Unity would probably be the most difficult piece of technology that we included. We had a group of four boys who spent a lot of time learning to use Unity and they did well. Lots of other people were intrigued with Unity but when they watched that team actually use Unity, they were intimidated and knew that wasn’t for them.
Share with us how you told your community partners, school admins, and family members about the award and some of their responses and reactions. Corbin: We had several inches of snow on the ground and were out of school when the announcement was made. Our facilitator emailed us the link so we could watch but NONE of us checked our email.
She called us to tell us that we had won and we shared the news on Facebook. People were very excited for us and very complimentary about our good news.
What would you like our audience to know about you, your school, or EAST? William: Our school district is restructuring and the middle school is coming to an end. When we found out that we won Founder’s, we were obviously pumped. But it was even more of a victory since our school is on it’s last year. We definitely went out with a bang and closed out the EAST at Harrisburg Middle School program in style.
What is the focus now that Conference is over? Gabby: We’re wrapping up details to complete projects and getting finished products in clients’ hands. We also made a database of all EAST schools’ projects from the JUNO platform and we’ve used that to help a few of our classmates who are struggling to stay on task since the end of the school year is so close.
What advice would you give to a school applying for the first time? Adalen: Don’t get your hopes up but be confident in your application. You never know what will happen until you actually try. You may have a great year but your EAST program may meet competition from other schools and you may not be recognized. But that doesn’t mean your program isn’t amazing.
What does the EAST Conference 2022 theme mean to you? Madisyn: The new theme makes me think that we are taking things to the next level and we’ll be more sophisticated. This school year was difficult because of so many limitations, but we have the opportunity to expand, grow, maximize our abilities, and accomplish more. All of that results in building up. SPRING 2021 | EAST QUARTERLY
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four years in the making 2021 FOUNDER’S AWARD WINNER mountain home career academies MEET THE Mountain home Career academies east team Joshua Dodson - 12th grade Sophie Quick - 12th grade Lauren Dewey - 12 grade Zack Spaulding - 12th grade
Founder’s is a self-nominated award. Who or what planted the seed that you all should nominate yourself? Joshua: We have worked so hard these past couple of years, and I think our community was proud of what we have done. Our team and facilitator collectively decided that we should nominate ourselves.
Which project that was highlighted in the nomination and presentation was... ...The most challenging project for the group? Lauren: The most challenging was the Foodbank of North Central Arkansas project. There are so many parts, and each one is different and challenges us differently. The Blessing Box has pushed us outside our comfort zone. The actual box is a temperature-controlled box that people in our community anonymously donate to or can take food from. If the boxes are not temperature controlled, that would sacrifice the quality of the food. Controlling the temperature of the boxes remotely turned out to be very difficult. The project team had to create several different prototypes and choose the best option for our program, the food bank, and community. Another big challenge for this project was coordinating the grand opening of the food bank. We learned new skills in graphic design, audio software, video production and editing, and more.
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Follow east @ Mountain home career academies! EAST at Mountain Home High School
...The favorite project of the group?
Sadie: “Baxter County Outside” was probably the group’s favorite project. We get to explore our area and bring attention to all the amazing opportunities to get outside and be active
...The most impactful project for the community? Sophie: “2 Yes Votes for Mountain Home” has to be the most impactful project for the community. This community center will provide a large and safe recreational space for so many people. The retirement community can use it year-round for exercise, and families can bring their young children there to play. Most importantly, it will provide an ample meeting space for our community leaders to come together. Working on the videos and other marketing materials was very rewarding. It felt great to grow as a team while we provided a space for community collaboration.
Share with us how you told your community partners, school admins, and family members about the award and some of their responses and reactions. Lauren: Once we found out we were founders award winners, everyone was so excited. I remember calling my mom and telling her we had won. She told me how proud she was of our program. My older sister was a part of the first team who applied for founders four years ago. She was so happy that we had finally accomplished what so many MHHS EAST students had dreamed about for so long. Our community and administration found out through social media. They were so proud of us, and we were honored that their projects had helped make us the program we are today.
What would you like our audience to know about you, your school, or EAST? Zach: We are so proud of what we have accomplished this year.
What is the focus now that Conference is over? Sophie: Our focus is to develop more relationships with our clients and take our projects to the next level. We are finishing the projects that are close to being finished before the end of the year.
Have you applied for Founder’s in the past? If not, what made you feel prepared/qualified this year to do so?
What advice would you give to a school applying for the first time?
Lauren: This is our 4th year applying for Founder’s. This year was different from all of the others in several ways. COVID-19 made our classroom and projects completely different. We decided to focus on community needs, advance our past projects, and work on things within our program and school. We have worked with the Peitz Cancer Support Center for over five years now. This year we partnered with them yet again to help them with their 20thanniversary celebration. This was the biggest project so far. We produced 20 videos of community members, cancer survivors, and board members in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Support House. We also continued to work on the project Bomber News Network. Last year we produced a monthly newscast, and this year the administration reached out to us and asked for us to create a daily newscast. We have live-streamed news every day this year.
Lauren: Use the video to highlight everything you have done and what you are most proud of. Put as much in the video as you can. Highlight yourself and what you are proud of.
Out of all the technology used, what piece of technology was your favorite and why? Joshua: Our favorite piece of technology has to be our Sony A7iii. We use this camera all of the time for photo and video projects. The quality of the pictures and video are incredible.
What was the hardest piece of technology to navigate? Zach: We have many pieces of technology that are difficult to work with, but the hardest would be working with Ronin. This DJI camera stabilizer was entirely new to our program. It was purchased to take b-roll footage for videos. It was a learning experience. We watched youtube videos and read the manual to learn how to use the camera stabilizer.
What advice would you give to a school that is submitting an application for the second or third time? Sophie: We are the prime examples of not giving up after submitting for the fourth time. We worked very hard every year to push ourselves and not give up. With that being said, you will need to take the feedback given to you and apply those corrections. We were finally able to use the corrections, and in return were 2021 Founder’s winners.
What does the EAST Conference 2022 theme mean to you? Lauren: The theme “Build Up” to me means investing in your community and school. It means creating strong projects that will continue to help our community.
THANK YOU! APRIL 22, 2021
2021 EAST Day of Giving
$5,965 TOTAL RAISED
20%
78%
HIGHER THAN GOAL
INCREASE FROM 2019
SPECIAL THANKS TO Brice Smith, First Orion Alumni Challenge Gift Donor
Gill Ragon Owen First 25 Challenge Gift Donor
AREAS YOU SUPPORTED Student Training
Education Unleashed
Scholarships
EAST Seminar
Program Grants
If you missed being a part of EAST Day of Giving, you can still support students by going to supportEAST.org. 12
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SPECIAL THANKS TO
Brice used his success as an alum most recently to help EAST gain support during
the annual Day of Giving with his personal donation, securing a gift from First Orion, and then returning midway through the day to match a later donation dollar for dollar. “To this day, I remain immensely grateful for the impact that EAST has had on my life. It provided me with an outlet for community activity and technology in High School, a job in college, the path to a career that challenges me, and even an introduction to my wife!
Brice Smith EAST Alum & Solutions Architect for First Orion
I am happy to support what EAST is doing and will continue to do in the future. When donating and sharing about EAST, my goal is to inspire others to show their passion for accelerated education by supporting EAST through a donation of their time and knowledge as a student trainer or professional development presenter and donations. As students, EAST was there for us when we needed it, and now we have the opportunity to be there when they need us.”
To join a community of people who support EAST like Brice, visit EASTInitiative.org and become an official Friend of EAST!
What is First Orion? First Orion is a company with global operations that uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to block spam calls and to help ensure important messages reach customers.
THANK YOU
to all of our sponsors and supporters who help make EAST happen for students.
SPRING 2021 | EAST QUARTERLY
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Become an EAST
STUDENT TRAINING INSTRUCTOR EAST hosts over 70 technical and soft skills training sessions each school year for students in grades 2 through 12. Classes are held in person and online, and you can commit to as little as one training (2-6 hours). Training topics include 2D Design, 3D Printing, Animation, Audio Recording and Producing, Design/Development, Coding/Programming, Geospatial, Networking, Photography, Project Management, Entrepreneurship, Virtual Reality, and Videography. Check EASTlink.me/StudentTrainingSessions for a more inclusive list of topics!
Put your skills to work at one of these locations: EAST Initiative in Little Rock University of Arkansas in Fayetteville Regional educational cooperatives throughout Arkansas Virtually through Zoom
APPLY NOW @
EASTLink.me/EASTtrainer Must be submitted by July 5, 2021 Don’t see a topic you’d like to train on? Let us know when you complete the application form!
Follow us on TikTok! EAST has a new TikTok account! Follow us now @theEASTInitiative and stay tuned for fun ways to get involved!
