Category: Education

Southwest Human Development, Arizona’s largest nonprofit dedicated to early childhood development, has launched its annual MAKERS of Change Assistive Technology Challenge benefiting the organization’s services for children with disabilities.

Now in its third year, the MAKERS of Change Assistive Technology Challenge engages high school students to advance their STEM knowledge and learn important lessons about the practical application of assistive technology solutions. The challenge is open to high school STEM teams, clubs and classes. Now through November each team will compete in a variety of categories to develop real-world solutions to real-life problems often experienced by those with physical disabilities.

– The Arizona 100 reports

ProStart is a nationwide, two-year high school culinary arts and restaurant management program that unites students and industry professionals to develop the best and brightest talent into tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice leaders.

The curriculum educates students on all facets of the industry and is currently being utilized at the Western Arizona Vocational Education Joint Technical District as well as at nearly two dozen high schools statewide, including: Alhambra, Apollo, Barry Goldwater, Benson, Blue Ridge, Carl Hayden, Copper Canyon, Desert Ridge, Estrella Foothills, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Kingman, La Joya, Maryvale, Mogollon, Page, Sahuarita, Sierra Linda, Tolleson, Tombstone, Valley Vista and Youngker.

– The Arizona Restaurant Association reports

Hohokam Elementary School recently broke ground on a significant modernization project. The plan was developed in partnership with the Scottsdale Unified School District and stakeholders after a series of public meetings, during which time preserving the historical importance of the property was ensured.

The administration and lobby will move to the front of the property to help better enhance security. It also adds an outdoor, shaded amphitheater, new cafeteria, Wi-Fi, upgraded insulation and sweeping upgrades to all mechanical and electrical systems. The new design also takes modern ergonomics into account. The school expects the update to be completed by summer 2021.

– Vicente Terán, CHASSE Building Team

Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC) has announced Kindergarten Readiness, a free social-emotional learning program available to all girls entering kindergarten to prepare to start school amid COVID-19.

Its first program, “Make New Friends,” is a four-part virtual series that provides opportunities for the girls to strengthen four competencies. The series allows girls to connect with the same friends each week, and Girl Scouts staff and volunteers will lead the group through sessions around language and literacy, cognition, approaches to learning, and social and emotional learning. Multiple four-week sessions are being offered starting now through October 2020. Click here for more information.

– Heather Thornton, Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council

Gathering school supplies and preparing for back-to-school has taken on a new meaning this year with COVID-19.

Experts suggest getting your child used to wearing a mask, increasing the time each day leading up to the first day of in-person schooling. Mask cases and lanyards have also been advised, so kids can safely put their mask away or secure it during lunch time, along with hand sanitizer and sanitizing hand wipes.

How can business owners help? Consider donating disposable masks, lanyards, cases and hand wipes to your local school to help communities, teachers and parents navigate the coming school year.

– Sarah Bascom, The OJT 100

Peace Corps and Arizona State University will continue to cater to the needs of learners in remote, offline communities globally by utilizing ASU’s Solar Powered Educational Learning Library (SolarSPELL) technology.

SolarSPELL delivers a digital library that mimics the online experience by generating its own offline hotspot that allows any Wi-Fi-capable device to connect, so that users can freely surf the library’s content. Peace Corps volunteers will be able to take SolarSPELL into communities to help improve educational outcomes in schools and support ongoing technology training, and will eventually equip thousands with localized, offline digital libraries filled with 20,000-plus educational resources.

– The Arizona 100 reports

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) and U.S.VETS announced a collaborative effort with Microsoft to provide military veterans with opportunities to earn fast-track certifications to launch careers in information technology.

The first pilot program is offered online at no charge for up to 20 veterans. The Microsoft Excel Expert through Imagine Academy welcomed its first cohort virtually July 13 through MCCCD’s Maricopa IT Institute (MITI)-East Valley. Excel Expert certification can open the door to many jobs like community manager or operations coordinator, and is considered a foundational skill in engineering, business and IT.

– Dr. Brianna Degeus, Maricopa County Community College District

The University of Arizona has been ranked No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 2 globally in water resources in the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities.

This is the third year in a row the University has been recognized for its water resources program. The Shanghai ARWU subject rankings score more than 4,000 global universities across 54 subjects in five categories: natural sciences, engineering, life sciences, medical sciences and social sciences. UArizona also earned high marks in the areas of communication (No. 20 globally, No. 15 U.S.) and library and information sciences (No. 21 and No. 16).

– Nick Prevenas, The University of Arizona

The U.S. Senate has unanimously confirmed the appointment of Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan as director of the National Science Foundation.

The National Science Foundation is an $8.3 billion independent agency and the only U.S. government agency charged with advancing all fields of scientific discovery, technological innovation and STEM education.

Panchanathan previously served as the executive vice president of the Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise, where he was also chief research and innovation officer. He is also the founder and director of the university’s Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing. He is also a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

– National Science Foundation reports

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is collaborating with Intel and the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) to create Arizona’s first Artificial Intelligence certificate and degree program, enabling tens of thousands of students to land careers in healthcare, automotive, industrial and aerospace fields.

The Maricopa Community Colleges will be the first in the nation to train workers for the region’s driving demands in Artificial Intelligence technology, allowing access for more students to master skills valuable across many occupations and industry sectors and ultimately improving the nation’s workforce, economy and community. By January 2021, MCCCD plans to have five courses deployed.

– Arizona Commerce Authority reports