History

By engaging students in an educational environment steeped in emerging technologies and focused on self-direction and community service, students can achieve more and become life-long learners and problem solvers. The EAST Initiative assists school districts and communities across the nation in establishing and maintaining this educational environment.

The Santa Ynez Valley Union High School EAST program began in 2002 with a small group of 17 curious students. In that time the single section has accomplished a tremendous amount. The facilitators, Mrs. Merz and Mr. Fenenga have created a great environment of creativity and success, working hard to get a diversity of students involved with EAST. They have bent school rules getting many students in the EAST lab and allowing lunch, after school and weekend lab use by EAST and other students working together to broaden the scope and influence.

The EAST program has worked with local vintners mapping vineyards. This has created a market for the students and a demand for their work. 3 students now work for 2 vineyard management companies.

The EAST program has done significant work at the High School for the Art, Sports, Band and Drama programs as well as the Science Department. EAST students set up our web site and have also created a web site that allows all teachers at the High School the ability to post class information. Our class has also helped out elementary students who come to the high school for science labs. One large project had a team design and print all the state standards for each grade K - 12 as well as common district guidelines. This is to align teaching and testing standards. The students were awarded certificates from various School Boards for their work.

The class also completed a safety map of the school that is second to none. This CAD and Microstation project of Mikey Carlson has branched out and a local elementary school has asked us to complete their map.

A wonderful GIS project that is ongoing is the mapping and future projections of coastal surfing spots. This one has many people getting involved, including UCSB, Surfrider Foundation, MBARI, Planning Commissions, and the Cousteau Foundation. We will be working on this from March to June of 2004.

Softimage Animation software is put to good use by a project having Algebra II classes come into the lab for student designed lessons on vectors.

In the community the students have worked with the CHP mapping accidents along Highway 154 with 4 years worth of accident data. This project was selected by EAST last year to be made into a training video and shown to new programs. It is a model of many uses of technology including GIS, GPS, public speaking, graphics, web and video. The students presented this to all Drivers Ed classes at the high school, the board, Rotary , CHP, TUPE safety meetings, and the video was shown by Joyce Hinkson of CDE at many conferences.

The class this year has made a tremendous effort to include many professionals and organizations in the mapping and preservation of the Mission Santa Ines aqueduct system. We have presented our work at the Feb 13 - 15th California Mission Studies Conference in San Luis Obispo, at lecture series in Solvang and in a professional paper to be published, including original research. In November of 2004 they received the Governor's Historic Preservation Award. They also received 1st place in Geospatial Solutions August 2004 edition. The class was nominated and received the EAST Founder's Award at the 2004 Conference and 1st place for best project.

The students have presented at numerous conferences including TUPE, COX Cable Eye on Education, World GIS Day at Ventura College, CUE, National Service Learning, and Ocean Explorers workshops.

The EAST class opened their rooms on weekends to work in a series of Boy Scout projects and Eagle Scout Projects and taught numerous students some of the software. This has resulted in an Eagle Scout program by EAST student Kevin McDonald where hikers, bikers, hunters can submit their destination and departure times so Search and Rescue can be aware if any problems arise. This originally started as an EAST program but has branched out. Please visit SBCSAR.org to see this innovative site.

The Santa Ynez EAST class has appeared as a front page story in our spring Santa Ynez Valley magazine, "Santa Ynez Guest" based on their work with the aqueduct. This is distributed throughout the valley to guests, visitors and businesses. No High School program as ever done this before. In that capacity they have made presentations at Rotary, the Solvang Chamber of Commerce and local schools

Collaboration

Collaboration with other EAST schools has been necessary for us to be successful. We have met with others at trainings and shared resources, been involved in the Forums and called other programs. Our web site has a great collection of links that are used by students at the high school and other EAST programs. Students have sent materials to other EAST schools and conducted trainings in software. The GIS and GPS work by Tim Manchester, Clay Garland, Kelly Lyon and others, has set the stage for High School Work. Clay and Kelly presented at World GIS Day 2004 at Ventura College and received 1st place for the poster competition. Congratulations also go to Erin Gnekow and Breanna Schlags for their Adobe Photoshop work on the posters.

Perhaps our biggest impact may be the connections that our facilitators, Mr. Fenenga and Mrs. Merz have shared for many EAST programs. They have sent to Shelly Tate (EAST Western Director) and Joyce Hinkson (CDE) numerous grant opportunities and professional development options. Most of these come about through Mr. Fenenga's 15 years of work as Co-Director of the California Science Project at UCSB. The MATE center in Monterrey California allowed 9 EAST facilitators to meet and work on collaborative projects over the summers. This has filtered down to the students and even at the Western Conference this year; MATE is making a presentation based on Mr. Fenenga setting this up. In addition, the Ocean Explorers NSTA Program this year will allow many schools to meet and use GIS / GPS. Our local middle schools are participating and this will allow them to get and connect with our EAST program and kids.

This year we were awarded by all our local K - 8 schools, certificates of support for an EAST group project on the California State Standards. This required the students to contact local administrators, present their work and speak before local boards of education. Work by

Students have started an internship conversation with a large engineering firm, M and S Engineers based on their GIS work.

We have been featured in our annual reports which are mailed to all homes in the Valley. This has fostered many connections at other school. One was a collaboration helping Solvang School in their golf fund raiser by Ginger Dolyak.

Integration of Technology

We are effectively integrating various technologies in their EAST program and student projects. Of any area this is where we have perhaps been the most successful. In our lab we have used most of the software available to us for useful projects. This is primarily because it is the facilitator philosophy of teaching, "Out of many paths... one path"

The Mission Aqueduct uses video, animation, CAD, web, graphics, GIS, GPS and publishing. The use of so many different technologies allows many students the opportunity to participate in one project. The class has adopted the model of student specializing on specific software. They then interact with others and are looked at as "experts" with that technology.

The Highway 154 Traffic Safety Project is also an example of using multiple technologies (GIS, GPS, web, video, photo, graphics, and publishing) to showcase the students' abilities. This was featured in a CDE publication sent to all administrators.

The EAST class has received numerous smaller grants based on the applications by facilitator Chip Fenenga. This has allowed us to purchase additional software and hardware that student experts felt was necessary. This includes 3-D Studio Max and plug-ins for animation, Sonic Pro for scoring video's (this allows an ethical use of music), the purchase of a Casablanca video editing system, Terrain Pro GIS software. The city of Solvang has donated Garmin GPS units to the class based on their interest and our work from Council Member Brian Baca.

This has been a relatively small class over the last 1 ½ years that has accomplished this. Due to budget constraints, we have had only one section despite the fact that many students are interested. The administration has worked with ROP we can have 5 full sections. The class is A-G, University of California approved as Environmental Science and the additional ROP funding will help with consumables and upgrades. Many students use the lab and despite Mr. Fenenga's and Mrs. Merz demanding teaching schedules and coaching responsibilities, they are always there to open it up or let students print something or allow computer time.

In 2004 / 2005 students have completed work mapping all student addresses' for our schools use in designing the most efficient transportation system. Kelly Lyon was the engineer of this effort. A team completed a parent brochure for use by the counselors. Also working with the counselors, a team developed a school profile to be sent with all college recommendations. Many other students have worked on web sites for the entire school.

We have a team of two students, Allison Caughill and Megan Bosko, who worked with the City of Solvang designing a much needed brochure detailing the new laws, passed allowing 2nd residential units to be built. They consulted with lawmakers, designers and city planners in making this available to all interested citizens.

A team is mapping the coastal cliffs for the City of Santa Barbara in the college community of Isla Vista. A team is mapping water meters and features for the Santa Ynez Water District. Students have made videos and presentations for ASB, classes and assemblies. We have students taking photo's, designing structures, and using technology everyday in the classroom proving that an education isn't received... it is achieved.

Home | About | Projects | Contact | Links