Celebrating partnerships that span a decade
As the 2022-23 school year began, we reflected on the last two years in appreciation of the commitment our business and school partners showed to students in their communities. And we are looking ahead with excitement to be back in the classroom this fall with all of our existing partners and a few new ones that will bring middle school programming to students who have experienced our elementary school program.
Celebrating 10 years in the classroom
We are especially proud to celebrate the long-time contributions of two partners who are entering their 10th year in the classroom with the In4All STEM Connect program. Vernier Science Education (formerly Vernier Science & Technology) was involved in the creation of the STEM Connect program in 2012 and has been in the classroom at Vose Elementary ever since. In4All and Vernier share many of the same views and values which might be why they have been so giving beyond the classroom supporting our events, creating instructional videos for volunteers, offering meeting space for our board, and so many other ways.
Daimler Trucks was also involved in beginning the STEM Connect program and has sponsored as many as three schools in a year. They helped pioneer the role of school champions giving employees leadership opportunities outside of their daily job functions. Today, Daimler partners with Rosa Parks Elementary and Boise Eliot Elementary and is known for bringing a truck to the final school visit each year which is a thrill for the kids (and the In4All staff)!
New partnerships extend pathways for students
Our one-of-a-kind student engagement model was designed to impact students at multiple points in their K-12 education to build interest in core elementary school subjects, establish relevance between curriculum and community in middle school, and create connections to careers in high school. The STEM Connect program has grown steadily for 10 years and has impacted tens of thousands of students. Our focus now is to give students the next learning experience by bringing the design thinking program into the middle schools fed by our elementary schools.
We are excited to announce three middle school partnerships for the 2022-23 school year that will create the next step in the pathway for students in three communities.
Intel has added Harrison Park Middle School in the SE Portland community which will eventually be fed by Rosa Parks Elementary as Portland Public School completes its realignment.
Nike is starting a new partnership with Meadow Park Middle School in Beaverton to complement its involvement in Barnes Elementary, a feeder school for Meadow Park.
Holst Architecture, a new In4All business partner, is partnering with Roseway Heights Middle School the NE Portland which is feed by Scott Elementary.
We will be continuing to focus on middle school program growth in the years to come to give as many students as possible different experiences as they move from elementary to middle school in their communities.
Design thinking goes to high school
We are testing a design thinking sprint program at the high school level through a partnership between Kinship, a pet technology company, and Alliance High School in the NE Portland community. The pilot program will explore how design thinking methodology can be used to connect students at alternative high schools to possible career paths.
Our total number of business-school partnerships now stands at 30, up from 27 last year, which will give more than 3,000 students hands-on learning experiences this school year. Thank you to all our partners who continue to support our mission and those who have just joined the In4All community. We are excited for the year!
