Weekly Update 2/11

Academy-Wide Initiatives

Academy Scheduling for next school year

The academy link for students to apply to academies is now live on the Jackson-Reed and STEM website. However, if you are already in one of the academies, you do not need to reapply. As long as you are on track to pass your academy class, you will automatically be enrolled in the next level class. Ms. McClure will be sending next year's scheduling spreadsheets to counselors by the end of April. Ms. McClure is currently making her rounds for one-on-one meetings with students to discuss their scheduling needs and requirements to graduate from the academies-she hopes to get all students by April 1st to ensure they are enrolled in the correct Academy class next year.

Biomed: First/CPR Certifications

Biomed juniors and seniors, as you know First Aid/CPR/AED Certifications are a requirement to graduate from this academy. If you did not complete the certifcation last school year, you should have been send a link this past Thursday from the Red Cross to access the online modules which must be completed by the end of March so you are eligible for the in-person training which will take place at J-R on April 9,10. If you did not receive this link, please reach out to Ms. McClure asap!

Engineering: OSHA 10 Certifications

Juniors and seniors, as you know the OSHA-10 Certifications is a requirement to graduate from this academy. If you did not complete the certification last school year, you will be given a link from either Mr. Meyers, Mr. Ghosh, or Dr. Sharma based on whose upper-level class you are in.  Please check in with your respective teacher for the link

Freshman Academy Recruitment!

9th Grade Advisory Recruitment will take place on April 11 and 12. Sign-ups for this opportunity will open in March.

Vertical Course Alignment Presentations

In April (exact dates TBD) we are going to try a new initiative of having our upper-level courses in each academy come into the first and second-level courses to talk about the courses to come. We receive a lot of feedback from students letting us know that they wish they new more about the next level course(s) in their academy course sequences to better understand what lies ahead! So, upper-classmen who want to support with this initiative, be on the lookout for sign-ups opening up in March so we can be prepared for April.

Sexual Wellness Advocacy for Teens (SWAT) Program

In partnership with the George Washington University School of Medicine and the Latin American Youth Center, there will be a six-session Spring series for interested students to engage with med school students and discuss topics around sexual wellness. If you are interested in more information, please sign up here. Participation in this series counts toward a WBL opportunity: https://forms.office.com/r/fvXd6RXfm0

Girls Who Code Club Revamp! 

Girls who code is revamping! Stop by for help with assignments from your CS classes, coding games/challenges, or just to talk! There will be lots of yummy snacks and it will satisfy academy requirements. We will also have guest speakers to satisfy the academy career exploration requirement! We meet Tuesdays in Room 405 at Lunch.  Interested? Fill this form so we can add to your calendar: https://forms.office.com/r/7iY1urpn8J

Upcoming Opportunities and Scholarships 

In our efforts to streamline the newsletter-please​ see links from our website for links to information for internship/camp opportunities that have been outlined numerous time in past:   News - NAF Academies (scimatech.org)Opportunities - NAF Academies (scimatech.org)

International Spy Museum Volunteer Program

The International Spy Museum is recruiting Teen Volunteers (Ages 15-18) to assist with their upcoming summer camp. Teen volunteers would assist Spy Camp counselors by engaging with campers as they participate in workshops, mini-lectures, and missions inside and outside the Museum building. Teens who participate will also earn 70 volunteer hours. This opportunity also would fulfill 70 of the 80 internship hour requirement to graduate the Biomed Academy.​​ Information can also be found on their website.

 

AI Bootcamp 

AI Bootcamp invites students into a three-week online journey through the fascinating world of AI. Students will have the chance to craft their own AI product, mentored by professionals from top companies and universities like Google, Stanford, MIT, and many more. They offer the thrill of discovery with the convenience of home-based learning, making it an ideal summer pursuit.

Scholarship Details

In line with our commitment to fostering continuous learning and growth in AI, they offer scholarship opportunities for this summer's AI Bootcamp. Open to middle and high school students, these scholarships-ranging from full to partial-are designed to make this unique learning journey accessible to all. To maximize their chances, we recommend students apply early. The deadline for applications is March 10, 2024.To learn more, please visit: https://www.ai-camp.org/scholarship

 

DC FEMS Cadet 

The Application is now open! https://fems.dc.gov/page/cadet-program

The deadline is on March 10th. Please support your application with the following: Understand all requirements- there is no waiving any requirement or step, and please provide a letter from your counselor stating that you are on track to graduate with a 2.0 GPA.

 

Biomed: Veterinary Medicine Careers Exploration

A virtual workshop created especially for high school students interested in veterinary medicine. Takes place on Saturday March 9, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon. The cost for the workshop is $25. However, no student will be denied access to participate because of the inability to pay. For information on financial assistance, please contact education@humanerescuealliance.org

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER! 

 

More Upcoming Programs

  • February 13: Diversity Listening Session during lunch (in the academy hub)
  • February 14: Engineering Fieldtrip to VA Air and Space Museum
  • February 14: Girls who Code/GES Club meeting during lunch
  • February 15: ACE Engineering Club (8:00-9:00 am in the morning)
  • February 15: Biomed Lunch n' Learn Physical Therapy Series
  • February 20: IT Fieldtrip: MICA School of Arts in Baltimore
  • February 21: Hold: Fieldtrip-School of Engineering at UDC
  • February 22: IT Fieldtrip to VA Tech University Main Campus
  • February 23: HOSA Club fieldtrip to OSSE
  • February 23: National Society of Black Engineers fieldtrip to Howard University
  • February 27th: For CRI summer Interns: Dress for Interview Success workshop (sign-up link coming soon)
  • February 29th: Engineering Fieldtrip to NASA-Goddard
  • March 1st: IT Fieldtrip-American University Game Design Lab

 

Career Ready Internship Information

Next Steps: Interview Preparation

February 20th: When job descriptions/ interview sign ups will be released. Students will be emailed and send a message on Remind when these positions are released.

Dress for success Interview Workshop: February 27-Sign ups to come

Mock Interviews: March 5,6,7-more info to come!

Official Interviews:  More information to come!

In person interviews at OSSE-March 18-22

Virtual interviews: March 25-29

Calling all parent volunteers!! 

For our three-day interview workshop we are requesting parent/community support to help facilitate small-group mock interview preparation and practice.  Please review this landing page: CRI Interview Workshop - NAF Academies (scimatech.org) for all the information and sign up! Ms. McClure will follow up with sending calendar invites as well as inviting you to a virtual prep meeting in advance of the workshop to make sure the Run of Show and responsibilities are clear!

 

Expanding Opportunities for Family Academy Involvement

As the structure of our STEM academies continues to evolve we are excited to create new, and formalize existing, opportunities for student leadership and parent involvement. In the 2019-2020 school year, beloved academy teacher Ms. Benjamin convened an ad-hoc advisory board of students and a few volunteer parents with the goal of formalizing industry partnerships and other opportunities/supports for the then Wilson STEM academies. In subsequent years, as the NAF academy model was rolled out, the role of the voluntary advisory began to evolve. In the 2022-2023 school year, an effort was made to begin formalizing student leadership opportunities and the structure of the advisory board. The current working board meets bi-weekly to share information and partner on upcoming events or initiatives (Annual Blood Drive, Engineering Expo, workshops, etc.) This year, we are excited to expand on this work and formalize opportunities for student leadership and parent involvement.

Opportunities for Student Leadership

The three J-R STEM academies present many opportunities for student involvement and leadership. Students have worked together to identify traditional and non-traditional roles where a student leader can contribute to improving the academy structure and culture. We are excited to expand student leadership opportunities for the 2024-2025 school year. In the spring, students will be invited to apply for a range of academy leadership positions. We hope many of you take the initiative and apply for a leadership position.

Opportunities for Parent Support

There are also many opportunities for parents to support our academies! The Engineering Expo, mock interview workshops, resume workshops, and other future opportunities are great ways that parents can get involved. We are also in the process of formalizing parent involvement on the advisory board for the 2024-2025 school year. Expect more information on how to apply to participate on the advisory in the spring. We would appreciate your partnership, perspective, skills, and willingness to roll up your sleeves and help with academy needs!

Current Board Members:

Director: Regina McClure

Teachers: Zachary Meyers, Romit Ghosh, Poonam Sharma, Alex Jacoby, Dylan Coster, Alex Kang, Qi Guo, Danielle Krafft, Amanda Dezenzo

Students

IT President: Wesley Hoy, IT Vice President: Hernan Gonzalez

Engineering President: Samantha Gordon, Engineering Vice President: Meredith Janssen

Health Science President: Kinzly Gootman, Health Science Vice President: Rain Terrell

Equity Officers: Keira Martin-Willis, Simone Forbes, Anna Khabiyev, Jessica Serrano

Secretary: Lolera Tesema

Parents: Melody Molinoff, Elizabeth Mettler

 

 

The Week in Review!

Old Dominion University STEM College Tour

Old Dominion University hosted a STEM-based college tour which was so engaging and hands-on for our students! Check out these photos of some of our students in action!


Mentorship Mixer 

STEM mentors and mentees gathered for one of our quarterly mixers for everyone to come together to snack, color, reflect on the first half of the year and then look ahead to supports for the rest of the year!  If you are interested in serving as a mentor or if you need a mentor, please use this interest form so we can follow up: https://forms.office.com/r/BUQDmce0n7


Hardy Middle School Fair

It was so great to see some new faces come and volunteer at our recruitment event for Hardy Middle School! Each STEM table had fun activities for rising 9th graders to try and learn more about our academy offerings for next year. Well done, Tigers!