AT&T executives to visit Sarah T. Reed High School
11/10/2009 12:00:00 AM
Visitors will see first-hand the progress being made at the school’s Academy of Engineering (AOE).
Executives from AT&T will visit Sarah T. Reed High School on November 12, 2009 to see first-hand the progress being made at the school’s Academy of Engineering (AOE). In 2008 The AT&T Foundation — the corporate philanthropic arm of AT&T – announced that Reed would receive a $24,000 grant from AT&T, through the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), to support the establishment of an Academy of Engineering.
Media are invited to attend the event, taking place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Reed, located at 5316 Michoud Blvd. It will include a discussion of current projects and a school tour.
AT&T and the AT&T Foundation support numerous projects that advance education and create opportunities for students. AT&T has committed to supporting the Academy of Engineering program’s initial two years. At Reed, the Academy of Engineering providing students with the science and math skills required to be college-ready for engineering study. This Small Learning Community is part of a collaboration between NACME, Project Lead The Way (PLTW) and the National Academy Foundation (NAF) to establish Academies of Engineering predominantly in major urban centers around the country. One goal of the effort is to help prepare minority students for careers in engineering, increasing opportunities for a population that has traditionally been underrepresented in the field.
One hundred and ten Academies of Engineering are planned for launch through 2012.
Principal Donald Jackson of Reed said the initiative melds science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and as well as practical application that can lead to real jobs.
“AT&T’s generous grant has provided Reed with the funding necessary to train and certify faculty. Faculty members have been able to visit exemplar AOE academies around the country and observe best practices first hand,” Principal Jackson said.
He continued: “My hope is that AT&T executives get a sense that Reed is moving in the right direction in implementing the AOE and providing a rich meaningful experience to students with varying abilities. This is the first AOE program in New Orleans to be offered to students in an open enrollment school. We are hopeful that this type of program will help bridge the gap.”
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