The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) and the Environmental and Spatial Technology (EAST) Initiative are pleased to announce two Vision Building Workshops to be held in January 2008. The workshops for Arkansas schools considering implementation of an EAST program will be held in two locations. On Wednesday, January 16, 2008, the EAST Vision Building Workshop will be held at the Fine Arts Building at Harrisburg School District. On Wednesday, January 23, 2008, the EAST Vision Building Workshop will be held at the Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative in Monticello, AR. Workshops will be held from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
The Vision Building Workshop is a chance to get an overview of the Initiative and a chance to see EAST students and projects face-to-face. Matt Dozier, President of the EAST Initiative, will present the EAST model, and representatives from the Arkansas Department of Education will be on hand to answer questions about this year’s opportunities for startup funding. Additionally, EAST students from the area will share projects. This workshop is the best opportunity for prospective EAST schools to see, hear, ask questions, and experience EAST in action. This is the time for local teams to seriously begin the process that leads to local school adoption of the EAST project in the local community. It is a required activity for the Arkansas Department of Education Grant Program.
Experience has taught that the EAST programs that see the greatest success are the ones that start with the strongest foundation of local support. Therefore, it is recommended that a team made up of at least five people from different areas of the community attend the meeting. Team members should include a district level administrator, building level administrator, counselor (or whoever schedules students for classes) and a teacher representative. Additionally, it is recommended that the team members bring representatives from other community groups that support the local school, if possible (parents, school board members, interested members of the business community, district technology staff, curriculum coordinators, etc.).
Please contact Melanie Bradford, Division Leader of Research and Technology, melanie.bradford@arkansas.gov or Matt Dozier, matt@eastproject.org if the local district plans to attend.
Please direct further questions about this workshop to Melanie Bradford at 501-371-5005.