The Department of Innovation & Agility
INNOVATION CENTER
We launched our Innovation Centers at Briones and Barron Park Elementary. The Innovation Center is a space for elementary students to explore different career possibilities and pathways offered at our secondary schools and beyond. The mission is to nurture our students as they build their career readiness skills in agriculture, arts, media, entertainment, culinary arts, health science, medical technology, engineering, and architecture. The Gunn High School Early Childhood Education Pathway class utilizes the Barron Park Elementary Innovation Center to teach high school students how to incorporate play as an instructional tool with grades TK-2.
Creativity Carts
Over 9,000 kits have been delivered district-wide this semester.
The Creativity Cart Program’s mission is to nurture students’ creativity and resiliency, while developing 21st-century skills. The kits aid to enrich curriculum and instruction. Using recycled materials and career-related themes, this innovative program offers engaging activities for grades TK-5 and affiliated programs.
We want to celebrate the learning that occurred Fall of 2022. Please enjoy the following snapshots of our programs.
Arts, Media and Entertainment
Please enjoy some highlights from our journalism, video production, and audio production classes.
Publications
Students share "the year-book class is a very useful class to learn and cultivate your writing skills in all areas, especially news writing and personality profile. My writing has improved significantly since my time at Beginning Journalism, and I've also learned a lot about Photoshop, InDesign, and photography."
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) released its annual Crown Finalist award. Paly publications were recognized for eight distinct crown nominations.
InFocus News Broadcast story on basketball player and Paly alumni Jeremy Lin won 1st place in the Broadcast Sports Story category from the National Scholastic Press Association.
Both Journalism programs are approved to issue dual enrollment credit in 2023-24.
VIDEO PRODUCTION
Please enjoy the following montages that showcase our Video Production students' work.
The film entry "Querido Mexico," submitted by Gunn junior Pablo Schettino, was elected for 2nd place in the November Hope and Justice contest. The contest challenged students to create an art piece based on the prompt "Mental Health Heroes." Pablo's film is now featured on the Directing Change website.
Business and Finance
Middle School Money Matters
The middle school course, Money Matters educates students about saving money and investing. You can see our students in action during a banking systems and a stock market simulations. By participating in simulations such as these, students learn important financial literacy concepts.
High School Business
Courses such as Business, Entrepreneurship, and Math (BEAM), Principles of Business and Business Law provide real life, hands-on learning of business management, economics, personal finance, marketing and entrepreneurship.
Students in the Business pathway at Gunn High School are eligible to earn NAFTrack certification.
Education, Child Development, and Family Services
Skills for Living
Our middle school students explored a unit in Babysitting skills in their Skills for Living class. This unit included activities about how to properly change a baby, basic first aid instruction, and general child education. Additional concepts such as how to build a babysitting resume and select age-appropriate books to read to young children are included in the unit.
Early Childhood Education
Students in the ECD program read and act out classic children's stories from Elephant and Piggie a book series for early readers created by Mo Willems.
Students in our Early Childhood Education classes at Paly can earn NAFTrack certification, and a Child Development Assistant Teaching Permit.
Engineering and Architecture
Our middle school Industrial Tech students collaborated with their peers by building mask boats. They also made model bridges.
Students in the Engineering pathways at Paly and Gunn High Schools are eligible to earn NAFTrack certification.
The Gunn Robotics team recently created a video to highlight the importance of rest and safety.
Fashion and Interior Design
Health Science and Medical Technologies
Students in our Biochemistry class learned about molecular structures by building models.
Hospitality, Tourism and Recreation
Middle school students have been busy cooking up some great recipes this semester such as chocolate chip cookies, cream puffs, and Halloween brownies.
High school students created tasty treats with their farm to table tomatoes.
Information and Communications Technologies
Middle school students in Computer Science were tasked to design their dream room using TinkerCAD.
High School Computer Science
Computer science students work together collaboratively to debug their Python projects, including data and file manipulation.
Students share that hands-on courses, such as computer science, change their perspectives. "I am really excited about computer science now; I spend my free time MAKING games and learning new CS concepts"
"I got a lot better at programming throughout this class, and the projects we did helped me develop my logic and critical thinking skills." - AP Computer Science Student
Public Services
High school students participated in a mock trial exercise in their law elective classes. Participating in a Mock Trial teaches essential skills such as public speaking, critical thinking, and the art of forming a persuasive, cohesive argument.
Transportation
Mr. Camicia's Auto 2 class stands proudly next to the Supercharged Chevy Engine they assembled in class. We hope this engine will produce close to 700 Horsepower. Quite an accomplishment for a High School Class!
Multiple Pathways
The Advanced Authentic Research (AAR) program strives to fulfill our mission of nurturing student interest and igniting student passion through real-world, hands-on research enabling students to explore career pathways.
AAR courses are issuing Dual Enrollment credit as of 2022-23.
Students in the AAR program recently submitted their proposals to the PAUSD Institutional Review Board (IRB).
PAUSD IRB approval (Board Policy 6162.8) is required of anyone; including, students, staff, or professionals conducting human subject research or data collection through human interactions. You can learn more about the IRB process, including standards for review, in the video linked below.
Work Experience Education Program
Work Permits – over 250 permits have been processed during the fall semester, which is an increase from last fall by more than 50 permits.
Students must complete at least 60 hours of work-based learning to pass the course each semester. Students enrolled in the Work Experience course can earn 21st Century certifications.
Career Pathway Programs are supported by industry experts serving on our CTE Advisory Committee.
The purpose of the CTE advisory committee is to work as a bridge between classroom and industry. With the ever-changing landscape of the modern workplace, it is key to hear from the experts that shape it. Thanks to our industry partners for joining us in the journey of preparing students, not just for college, but also career and beyond.
Thank you
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all who work day in and day out to create a space where students can learn and grow. Thank you to our teachers, staff, students, mentors, community members, and volunteers.
