BOARD OF EDUCATION Attachment: Information 1 PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Date: 06.07.16 TO: Board of Education FROM: Glenn “Max” McGee, Ph. D., Superintendent Prepared by: Jorge Quintana, Communications Coordinator SUBJECT: Staff and Students Successes STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE Governance and Communication Student Successes: Escondido Elementary 4th grader David Tomz submitted a piece of cover art for Music K-8 magazine through a competition and was a finalist in the Most Humorous category for his cover art entitled “Uh Oh, Here Comes Treble.” Congratulations to the Class of 2016! 492 Titans graduated from Gunn this school year while Paly presented high school diplomas to 509 Vikings. Gunn Juniors Maya Sankar and Jane Ahn were invited to the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program based on their USA Math Olympiad Test scores. The Gunn Boys’ Swimming and Diving team won its first California Interscholastic Federation Central Coast Section (CCS) title on May 14. The Paly Girls’ Swimming and Diving team earned the California Interscholastic Federation Central Coast Section (CCS) Championship. Paly’s Girls’ Swimming and Diving placed 2nd overall in California while the boys’ team ranked 4th. The following Gunn senior-athletes were signed as college athletes:

• Joao Amo (swimming) – Arizona State University • Calder Hilde-Jones (water polo) – University of California, San Diego • Daichi Matsuda (swimming) – Duke University • Gillian Meeks (track) – Harvard University • Maya Miklos (track) – Harvard University • Emma Wager (softball) – Bethany College • Amy Watt (track) – Pomona College • Vivian Zhou (diving) – M.I.T

The following Paly senior-athletes were signed as college athletes: NCAA Division I

• Andrew Cho (swimming) – George Washington University • Katherine Francis (water polo) – Santa Clara University • Eli Givens (football) – Southern Utah University • Michael Grandy (football) – San Jose State University • Alexis Harris (basketball) – San Jose State University • Myriam Lin (diving) – Princeton University • Reed Merritt (diving) – University of Texas, Austin • Jacey Pederson (soccer) – University of California, Los Angeles • Ansley Queen (soccer) – Colorado College • Ginevra Rojahn (water polo) – Bucknell University

NCAA Division III

• Alessandro Bonomi (soccer) – Occidental College • Kevin Bowers (water polo) – Occidental College • Claire Dennis (volleyball) – Amherst College • Henry Gordon (golf) – Occidental College • Justin Hull (baseball) – Claremont McKenna College • Owen Plambeck (baseball) – Haverford College • Matthew Seligson (lacrosse) – Williams College • Kayleigh Svensson (swimming) – Wellesley College

Several Paly students who are part of the school’s Madrono Yearbook team earned several awards at the recent Journalism Education Association (JEA) NorCal’s annual journalism competition. The students and their awards are:

• Liam Noroian & Blake Ragsdale: First Place, Cover Design • Chloe Iglehart: First Place, Specialty Spread and Honorable Mention, Academic Spread • Xander Sherer: Honorable Mention, Academic Spread • Cooper Lou: Third Place, Feature Photo • Melissa Cheng: Honorable Mention, Student Life Spread

May 16, 2016

LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY Dear Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Community, Welcome to our inaugural year of the Advanced Authentic Research (AAR) program at Palo Alto Unified School District. Our pioneering AAR students are engaging in original research in areas that matter deeply to them, whether in pursuit of their unique passion, or in their exploration of new interests. Working with mentors and the AAR team on their projects, they have demonstrated their ability to ask and answer profound real-world questions, tackle challenging problems, and in many cases contribute new knowledge or a meaningful work product to the field in which they studied. The research opportunities have also ignited student interest in exploring career pathways. The evidence of the AAR mission to “nurture student interest and ignite student passion through real world, hands-on research” is demonstrated in the poster presentations featured tonight. We are proud that our students had the courage to engage deeply in this pilot year. These students have pursued a wide array of compelling questions rooted in STEM, Humanities, Business and Social Science fields. During this year-long project, students gained professional experiences that will equip them with collaborative and independent critical thinking skills to be flexible and adapt to our ever changing global community. Our long-term goal is to prepare our students to bring passion, curiosity, and perseverance as they solve problems that do not exist yet. We are deeply indebted to all experts and leaders who have nurtured and guided our students throughout this inaugural year. Their steadfast support, dedication, and willingness to share their passions with our students led our students to achieve excellence as they personalized, integrated and communicated high-level research. Without their generosity, our first year would not have been possible. Please join us in celebrating our very first Celebratory Showcase featuring our students’ extraordinary accomplishments!

Glenn W. “Max” McGee, Ph.D. Jeong V. Choe, Ph.D. Superintendent Advanced Authentic Research Coordinator

THANK YOU Thank you to the mentors, community, PAUSD staff, and Board members (President Heidi Emberling, Vice President Terry Godfrey, Melissa Baten Caswell, Camille Townsend, Ken Dauber) for making this possible. We would like to thank the following individuals, organizations, and committee:

Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce

Silicon Valley Talent Partnership

Stanford University Outreach Department

CTE Steering Committee

CTE Advisory Committee

Palo Alto and Henry M. Gunn High School Administrators (Kim Diorio, Denise Herrmann, & more)

PAUSD Educational Services Department (Markus Autrey, Linda Dillon, & more)

PAUSD Digital Publishing and Information Technology support (Jill Kuechle, Isidro Pimentel)

JLS staff (Sharon Ofek, Judy Lukensmeyer, custodial staff, & more) for supporting AAR and being the first school to host our inaugural closing event

PAUSD Futures Program students for providing desserts

Volunteers (Peter O’Riordan/Program Advisor, Stephanie Youngquist, Renu Kumar, & Filomena U)

All of our mentors: Adam Gundran, Adam Jung, Adam Yonkers, Alice Hahn, Alice Shieh,

Angela Merchant, Barb Miller, Barbara Sih Klausner, Barry Hart, Benjamin Pinsky, Bo Yu, Bruce Ling, Catarina Williams, Chris Kolar,

Christopher Farina, David Willoughby, Debbie Whitson, Du Li, Elda Dzillc, Eric Sabelman, Esala Chandrasena, Eunice Hung, Gianna Giancarlo,

Gihani Wijewickrama, Hadi Hosseini, Harman Johll, Jack Bungarden, Jed Black, Jeong Choe, Jessie Dotson, Jia Pu, Joe Baker, Joy Wu, Leslie Berlin, Lili Jiang,

Liz Martinez, Malcolm Slaney, Margaret Cain, Matt Yun, Max McGee, Miguel Fittoria, Minnie Ho, Nancy Coffey, Natasha De Caiado Castro, Pablo Villoslada

Ray Ravaglia, Rebecca Navarro, Robert Cheung, Scott Lew, Sean Wu, Steve Chien, Sudhanshu Pant, Tasha Souter, Wenonah Vercoutere, Xue Gong, Yue Wang, & Zhang Cheng

To everyone that had a direct or indirect impact on our program, THANK YOU.

PROGRAM HALLMARKS Advanced Authentic Research (AAR) began with Dr. Max McGee mentoring eleven students in

April of 2015 from Gunn and Palo Alto High Schools. The program expanded to over seventy students in the Fall of 2015.

We hosted an information session in October 2015 where many students and parents expressed interest.

We hosted our very first Opening Social in November 2015 with over 160 people in attendance. Dr. Max McGee and Dr. Jeong Choe collaborated in expanding the program to include 76 students. The evening also gave parents, students, mentors, and our AAR team (Deanna Chute, Angela Merchant, Meri Gyves, and Peter O’Riordan) a chance to meet and network.

AAR international collaborators visited from Singapore in November 2105. During their visit, Dr. James Chang and Dr. Barry Hart gave an inspirational presentation to our exchange students.

Angela Merchant, Deanna Chute, and Dr. Jeong Choe wrote the core curriculum for the AAR program.

Working closely with Isidro Pimentel and Peter O’Riordan, AAR established its own logo and website in October 2015. AAR’s own electronic journaling system and mentor matching engine followed shortly after.

AAR formed formal partnerships with Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce and Silicon Valley Talent Partnership. AAR continues to work closely with Stanford University.

AAR formed a formal partnership with Palo Alto High School’s Social Justice program. The projects developed from this collaboration are also being showcased tonight.

AAR was awarded a grant from California Department of Education in January 2016.

Khan Academy started production of a video featuring AAR as an innovative program in April 2016.

AAR has been featured in news outlets including: Gunn Oracle, Paly Verde, Palo Alto Online, Paly Campanile, Palo Alto Pulse, and Palo Alto Patch.

AAR became University of California (UC) approved in April 2016.

The program has grown to include over 200 students next academic year. With the support from the Special Education staff both at Paly and Gunn, we will have 14 special education students participating in the program.

Approximately forty percent (excluding graduating seniors) of this year’s students are returning to continue their project next academic year.

STUDENT HALLMARKS All AAR students have exceed expectations and excelled in their research project this year. Here are some hallmarks of AAR students’ accomplishments.

Clare Kammerer will be starting a combined bachelors/masters program at Eugene Lang College for social research regarding gender, which will be a continuation of her AAR research project.

Zachary Kirk’s project, which focuses on the strategies available to combat the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, piqued his interest. He will be studying economics, international relations and Middle East studies at Stanford University.

Tara Madhav was accepted into the Stanford Humanities Institute summer program to study “Racial Identity in the American Imagination.” This work stems from her AAR research with Mr. Jack Bungarden on American racial and ethnic identities.

Samuel Vasquez is going to pursue his AAR project on marketing and advertising further and study this field as an undergraduate student at San Francisco State University.

Caroline Bailey and Maritha Wang shared their research at the Partners in Education (PiE) Circle Breakfast Briefing in March 2016.

Sophie Chumakova and Elena Jurczak presented at Gunn Principal Coffee in March 2016.

Alan Chen, Arianna Groetsema, Xavi Loinaz, Antoine Khoa Nguyen, Allison Zhang, and Justin Yang were accepted to present their projects at Synopsys Santa Clara Valley Science & Engineering Fair in March 2016.

Caroline Bailey completed the first in a series of three novellas this year through the AAR program. The next two will be continued this summer and as an undergraduate student at Princeton University. Once completed, she plans to submit her work to Young Arts for publication.

Maritha Wang is completing her manuscript on Oscillating Adsorption Thermodynamics of Small Molecule on Graphene for publication. Her work, which also involves international collaboration, was submitted to Singapore Science and Engineering Fair.

Jerry Xu investigated the different types of winglets on fixed wing aircraft performance in his AAR project. Jerry's project sparked his interest in aerospace engineering, which he plans to study at University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign.

Sean Lin deepened his familial bonds through special circumstances with his mentor over the course of his project. As he explored his passions and approached this project with a sense of curiosity and wonder, he found new ways to connect with those closest to him.

STUDENT PROJECTS

Part I: Advanced Authentic Research Projects Daniel Baeza: Role of Methylthioadenosine as a Therapy for Promoting Brain Repair in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Mentor: Pablo Villoslada, University of California, San Francisco Caroline Bailey: Looking at STEM’s Impact on What It Means to be Human through Science Fiction Mentor: Margaret Cain, Illinois Math and Science Academy (retired) Danielle Bisbee & Anmol Nagar: Presence of Microcystins from Cyanobacteria in Northern California Lakes Mentor: Esala Chandrasena, California Department of Public Health Adele Bloch & Ivy Li: Analyzing DNA Sequences for Quorum Sensing Inhibition Mentor: Gihani Wijewickrama, Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Sharat Bodduluri: Analysis of Gunn’s Athletic Training Room Mentor: Chris Kolar, Palo Alto Unified School District Emily Shuangyue Cao: The Extraction and Amplification of International Viral DNA Mentor: Benjamin Pinsky, Stanford University Kathleen Chang & Jarrod Hsu: Comparative Study of Antimicrobial Natural Products in Traditional Medicine Plant Mentor: Angela Merchant, Gunn High School Alan Chen: Uniquely Determining Identity Using Computer-based Analysis of Human Speech Mentor: Robert Cheung, Independent Software Engineer Eric Chiang & Kevin Li: Gene Correlation with Osteoporosis in Mice Mentor: Joy Wu, Stanford University Department of Medicine Kaitlin Chiu, Ahana Ganguly, & Zahra Muzaffer: Analyzing How Success is Defined by Palo Alto High School Students Mentor: Christopher Farina, Palo Alto High School Sophie Chumakova: Energy Consumption and Production Methods Mentor: Charles Hashem, Lockheed Martin Elliot Clark, Niklas Risano, & Noah Yuen: Hydration and Athletic Performance Mentor: Adam Jung, Ford Motor Company John Dai: Analysis of the Roots of Ancestry in the Qing Dynasty Mentor: Zhang Cheng, Stanford University

Clara de Martel & Teddie Stewart: Analysis of Energy Consumption in the Palo Alto High School Media Arts Center Mentor: Rebecca Navarro, Palo Alto Unified School District Nikhil D’Souza: Measuring Brainwaves Mentor: Matt Yun, Lockheed Martin Tamari Dzotsenidze & Takeru Nishi: The Decline of Small Businesses Mentor: Debbie Whitson, Palo Alto High School Arianna Groetsema & Allison Zhang: The Expansion of Mobile Healthcare in Emerging Markets using HeMoClo Mentor: Sudhanshu Pant, Mobilitas Samarth Grover Venkatasubramaniam: A Market Study to Determine the Viability and Design Features of a Course Offering to Help High School Students Present their “Interest Portfolios” for College Admissions Mentor: Ray Ravaglia, Director Pre-College at the School of the New York Times Brent Han & Ethan Li: A Novel Device to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Mentor: Jed Black, Jazz Pharmaceuticals Maya Homan & Leila Tjang: Analyzing the Significance of Family Dynamics for Patients with Antisocial Borderline & Narcissistic Personality Disorders Mentor: Tasha Souter, Veterans Affairs Health Care System Elena Jurczak: Breast Cancer Occurrences and Mortality Rates Among Women of Different Races and Ethnicities Mentor: Jia Pu, Mathematica Health Policy Research Joseph Kao & Leili Najmabadi: Driving Towards Safety: Effects on Pupil Dilation During Unexpected Driving Events Mentors: Adam Gundran, Joe Baker, & Hadi Hosseini, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Clare Kemmerer: Women’s Writing Groups: How Social Writing Empowers Women’s Work Mentor: Leslie Berlin, Stanford University Zachary Kirk: The Fight Against ISIS and al-Qaeda: Another Hundred Years’ War Mentor: Adam Yonkers, Palo Alto High School Jasmine Larrick: Enhancement of PD-1 Binding Affinity through Affinity Maturation and Mutagenesis Mentor: Bo Yu, Latrix Bioscience James Lee & Minyoung Kim: Transforming Growth Factor Beta-Receptor I Inhibitor Optimization Mentor: Barry Hart, Innovation pathways Sean Lin: The Sports Revolution: Recognizing Intangible Abilities in Players Mentor: Matt Yun, Lockheed Martin Jocelyn Liu & Tia Cheunkarndee: Correction of DYSF Mutation Using CRISPER and hiPSCs Technologies Mentors: Elda Dzillc, Alice Shieh, & Sean Wu, Stanford University Cardiovascular Institute

Mengyu Liu: Research of Differences Between Chinese and Western Music Mentor: Nancy Coffey, Palo Alto Unified School District Timothy Liu & Ashley Zhang: Accessibility of Academic Resources Outside of a School Setting Mentor: Lili Jiang, Quora Michael Lu: Realistic Synthesis of Musical Instruments and Performance Mentor: Malcolm Slaney, Google Inc. Tara Madhav: Studying the American Identity Through the Experiences of Ethnic Group from 9/11 Until Today Mentor: Jack Bungarden, Palo Alto High School Yuval Medina: Converting Music from Audio to Symbolic/Visual Representation Mentor: Malcolm Slaney, Google Inc. Gautam Mittal: From Text to Information-Using Natural Language Processing Technique to Glean Meaning Mentor: Robert Cheung, Independent Software Engineer Erin Mittmann: Analysis of the Efficiency of the PhotoVoltaic Test Bed and Its Feasibility as a More Permanent Power Solution Mentor: Wenonah Vercoutere, NASA Ames Research Center-Advanced Studies Laboratory Chloe Mo: Extraction of Risk Prediction Factors for Diseases Using Automated Literature Association Mentors: Bruce Ling and Yue Wang, Translational Medicine Lab, Stanford University Charlotte Moffatt: Better Living through Stress-The Effect of Environmental Stressors on Plant Metabolite Production Mentor: Max McGee & Jeong Choe, Palo Alto Unified School District Khoa Nguyen & Xavi Loinaz: Design/Utilization of Visual Recognition Software to Analyze Neurosurgery Video Mentor: Eric Sabelman, Kaiser Permanente Cory Pan & Jessica Amalraj: Optimal Chemical Environment for Algal Biohydrogen Production Mentor: Liz Martinez, Illinois Math and Science Academy & Alice Hahn, Gunn High School Anisha Patwardhan: A Door Long Unopened-Neighbor Estranged by the Economic Embargo in Cuba Mentor: Catarina Williams, League of Creative Minds Naveen Ram: Digital Splitter Mentor: Gianna Giancarlo, Hero Digital Julian Rovee & Max Wang: Modeling Wireless Communications Mentor: Minnie Ho, Intel Corporation Nicholas Titzler: Economical Analysis of Growth in Green Industry Mentor: Natasha De Caiado Castro, Wish Eventos Samuel Vasquez: Knowing Your Customer Mentor: Natasha De Caiado Castro, Wish Eventos

Jenica Wang: Gene Panel Design for Early Cancer Detection Mentor: Xue Gong, Stanford University Maritha Wang: Engineering Sensitivity-Sensors for Toxic Gases Mentor: Harman Johll, National Junior College in Singapore Celia Willner: The Effect of Water Properties on the Reproduction Viability of Quagga Mussels. Mentor: David Willoughby, California Department of Water Resources David Willner: A More Cost Effective Application for Active Noise Control Mentor: Du Li, Hewlett-Packard Emily Wong: Learning to Publicize Global Citizenship and Cultural Sensitivity Mentor: Natasha De Caiado Castro, Wish Eventos Jerry Xu: Investigating the Effects of Different Types of Winglets on Fixed Wing Aircraft Performance Mentor: Jeong Choe, Palo Alto Unified School District Justin Yang: Generating Efficiency Models of Energy Consumption with Machine Learning Algorithms Mentor: David Kwak, Uber Lena Ye: Analyzing the Use of Words in Auto Industry Mentor: Peg Cain, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (retired) Katina Yong: Metabolites in Buckwheat Cultivars and their Anti-Microbial Properties Mentor: Angela Merchant, Henry M. Gunn High School Sarah Youngquist: An Analysis of the Combinatorial Game Princess and the Roses Mentor: Steve Chien, Google Inc. Jonathan Zwiebel: Development of Multistage Algorithms for Detection of Asteroids from CCD Arrays in Fixed Fields using Data from Kepler Spacecraft Mentor: Jessie Dotson, NASA Space Science and Astrobiology at Ames Astrophysics Branch

Part II: Palo Alto High Social Justice Pathway & AAR Collaboration Project

Social Justice Pathway (SJP) program at Palo Alto High School is a three-year program featuring self directed and project-based learning in an interdisciplinary model rooted in community action and collaboration. This program is for students interested in empowerment, conviction and the passion to build a better world. The SJP program was created and developed by Mr. Eric Bloom (history and social sciences teacher) and Ms. Erin Angell (English teacher). The SJP program is in partnership with DreamCatchers, which is an after-school program working to enable underserved middle school students reach to their full potential. This academic year, DreamCatchers worked closely with SJP students in mini-research projects with the intent of measuring middle school student confidence in Mathematics. While the DreamCatchers’ Executive Director, Barbara Sih Klausner (former PAUSD Board Member) and Program Director, Miguel Fittoria served as mentors, Ms. Deanna Chute (AAR Liaison and a math teacher) guided students through the statistical analysis of mini-research projects. Next year, AAR will use the curriculum Ms. Chute developed from these projects. This curriculum will guide future AAR students through projects that involve systematic statistical approach. In addition, all the SJP students who will be seniors next year will concurrently be enrolled in the AAR program, and will receive support and guidance needed to execute their capstone research project. This is an exciting collaborative effort that brings multiple programs together to provide students with meaningful real-world experiences. The following are the Palo Alto High Social Justice Pathway and AAR Collaboration mini-research projects: Jack Fitton, Jordan Quigley, & Sylvia Targ Analysis of Question A1: “On a scale of 1 to 9, how would you rate your math skills?” Maya Heron & Caitlin Drover Analysis of Question B1: “When I come up with a solution to a math problem, I always ask myself, “Does this make sense?” And, when a classmate solves it a different way, I can understand his/her strategy, explain it to others and compare it to mine.” Kate DeAndre & Corinne Smallwood Analysis of Question A2: “I often ask questions when I don’t understand something.” Jeanette Andrews & Tanner Newell Analysis of Question A3: “I often raise my hand to participate in class.” Jordan Schilling & Kira Enriquez Analysis of Question B3: “Math teachers want you to learn, so they ask that you listen in class, follow instructions, do the classwork, study for tests and quizzes and turn in your homework on time. On a scale of 1 to 9, which best describes the effort you put into learning math?” Ahana Ganguly & Joshua Donelly-Higgins Analysis of Question A4: “I like actively participating in group activities and discussions in class (Scale of 1 - 9).” Rafi Long & Gillian Robins Analysis of Question A5: “I can turn a word problem into an equation. I can also turn an equation into a word problem.”

Alex Garcia, Quinn Knoblock, & Molly Weitzman Analysis of Question A6: “I like learning new things in math. Sometimes I even do optional problems.” Nadia Leinhos, Avery Pearson, & Gregory Syssoyev Analysis of Question A7: “I try to remember exactly what we did in class because it’s Important to memorize the rules and formulas. A month or two after that lesson, I may forget how the rule works.” Sarah Sundermeyer & Matthew Seto Analysis of Question A8: “Math is like a puzzle to me. In my head, I connect different math lessons because I can see how the topics fit together (Scale Range: 1-9).” Yotam Ponte, Layla Solatan, & William Jeffries Analysis of Question A9: “I estimate answers to problems before doing the calculations because I know it will help me get the right answer, and not because the teacher makes me do it.”

ABOUT OUR PROGRAM 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. The program innovatively adapts Career and Technical Education foundation standards in conjunction with Next Generation Science Standards for science and engineering practice, and our district’s vision statement for students to explore topics in a wide variety of disciplines including STEM, Humanities, Business and Social Science fields. Advanced Authentic Research students bring passion, curiosity, and perseverance to the program.

For more information about AAR, please visit: https://aar.pausd.org

For information about how to become a mentor, please visit:

https://aar.pausd.org/mentor/register

For information about student projects, please visit: https://aar.pausd.org/projects

Thank you for your support!

AAR Student Enrollment (2015-2017)

Number of Students

2015-2016 2016-2017

Gunn 33 (M:19, F: 14) 94 (2 SPED)

Paly 40 (M: 17, F: 23) 121 (14 SPED)

M: Male, F: FemaleSPED: Special Education

Student Research Area Analysis (2015-2017)

Percentage of AAR Student Research Area

Number of Project

STEM Business Humanity Social Science

Social Justice

2015-2016 38 6 3 10 11

2016-2017 109 20 10 11 26

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

STEM Business Humanity Social Science Social Justice

2015-2016

2016-2017

Celebrating 25 Years of Changing Lives Through Service

• Since 1990, deeper student learning through

meaningful service

• Bridging barriers across diverse communities

• Service-based, social-emotional learning

• Thank you for many in-kind supports

25 Years of Partnership with Youth Community Service

• 438 members, over 90 active members

• 449 Attended Gunn & Paly Service Days

• Over 40 club service opportunities this year

High School Service Clubs

• 264 signed up for

School Service Days

• Over 30 active

members

• Over 20 club service

projects this year

Middle School Service Clubs

Jordan students take a “photobooth” picture to demonstrate issues they

care about forNot In Our Schools Week.

Leadership Teams

• After-school

leadership programs

for middle and high

school students

• Students this year

worked on 9 service

projects

YCS students learn about a rain barrel as part of their water conservation project with Common Ground Garden.

Attendance Academies

• Engage students with behavior

or attendance issues in

meaningful service.

• YCS offers life skills activities

combined with service.

YCS Community Events• Each year YCS hosts

community-wide service events

• Student leaders help in planning and hosting the events.

• Students engage with city council members, students from other communities, and local non-profit organizations.

“The sum of everyone's little service deeds really makes a difference in the long run, and it benefits everyone. At the end of the day, you come home with more life experience and connections with people under your belt.”- Gunn Sophomore

“It was nice to feel like my actions have worth.”- Paly Service Day Student Volunteer

“Today I helped the JLS library staff so the librarians don't have to waste time on doing stuff we already took care of. I also got to help donate old books to Friends of the Palo Alto Library!”

- JLS Service Day Student Volunteer

“I learned that when I clean the baylands I am actually saving the lives of lots of animals!”

- Jordan Service Day Student Volunteer

“Waterless urinals are an awkward topic, but I still

really want to help so that our school can save water.”

- Terman 6th Grade Student

Where Service and Learning Go Hand in Hand

Real Life, Real Leaders Leadership Seminar

Youth empowerment and self discovery through leadership development and community service

June 13th - 17th, 2016 A joint partnership of:

Palantir + PAUSD + Youth Community Services + City of Palo Alto

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Proposal Pilot Program for Youth entering Sophmore and Junior years.

Intent Research suggests that there is a gap in confidence and self-advocacy between high-income and low-income students.  While high-income students are typically raised in households with college-educated parents that encourage self-advocacy and reasoning, low-income students often absorb the adults’ feelings of powerlessness in their institutional relationships and are deferential and outwardly accepting in their interactions with adults.

These differences result in low-income students having a disadvantage relative to their high-income peers in interactions with school teachers, administrators and other institutional gatekeepers. Annette Lareau, a respected Sociologist and author of Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life (2012), calls this an emerging sense of entitlement for high-income children and an emerging sense of constraint for low-income children.

The proposed Palantir/PAUSD Summer Leadership Seminar aims to fill this gap and give our low-income and underrepresented students some of the tools their high-income peers already possess – the confidence and skills to advocate for themselves and negotiate with adults. 

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Scope The idea is to have a small group of students meet for 5 consecutive days for a limited duration - 10am to 2pm in June where they will have the opportunity to learn and hone qualitative leadership skills with a professional leadership coach & educator and will participate in a group community service project using real world data from the City of Palo Alto to address a community concern. The session will be hosted at Palantir’s offices in downtown Palo Alto and will include a break for lunch.

Morning Session: Real Life Skills Working with Stanford Lecturer, Norman Tran, an Education Designer working at the intersection of Design Thinking and Mindfulness and who currently is an Interpersonal Dynamics Facilitator at the Stanford School of Business, participants will cover 5 themes over the course of the 5 days: understanding emotions, empathy & connection, giving & receiving feedback, identity, and crafting & celebrating your story. Please see Addendum A for a more detailed description of these themes and their associated activities.

Early Afternoon Session: Real Life Situations Working with data from the City of Palo Alto and convened by program staff from Youth Community Services, participants will look at situations and dynamics of city life in downtown Palo Alto and as a team, consider, plan and conduct a community service activity that explores this situation in greater detail. Final product to be a presentation of the team’s findings, research, ideas, reflections for community use in the future.

Cost & Criteria Free to PAUSD students entering their Sophomore or Junior years. Preference given to students who have participated in the Palantir/PAUSD Coding Class or who are enrolled in PAUSD’s computer science curriculum at Gunn or Paly. Palantir to sponsor space, food, staff support, services of Norman Tran and YCS. PAUSD to provide student application coordination, community liaison staff time and necessary liability coverage for youth educators (Norman Tran and YCS).

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