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From Hyde County Schools

Thanks to the hard work of Hyde County Schools Instructional Management Coordinator and Career and Technical Education Administrator Lisa Spencer, Mattamuskeet Early College High School was recently awarded the Verizon Innovative Learning Curriculum Expansion Program by the partnership between Verizon and Arizona State University.

Hundreds of applications were submitted for this grant, but only 230 schools across the United States were selected for this upcoming school year, so we are very fortunate to be in that list.

This grant addresses barriers to digital inclusion and aims to empower students with emerging technology, design thinking and social innovations to impact their communities. It also arms students with the skills to help them succeed in today’s digital world. With a focus on digital inclusion, Verizon and Arizona State University have collaborated to bring emerging technology and supporting curriculum to Title I middle schools across the country. The goal is to drive impact and address the growing need for adaptable STEM education in schools that might not otherwise have such opportunities.

STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. Rather than teach the four disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates them into a cohesive learning paradigm based on real-world applications.

The grant, valued at $4,000, will provide training for three teachers within the CTE department at Mattamuskeet Early College High School. It will also provide teachers with a technology kit that will support a classroom of 25-30 students. Mattamuskeet Early College will receive four Immersive media kits containing smart phones, VR headsets and 360-degree cameras. The team of three educators will use the technology during the next two school years. The team will consist of a coach, coordinator and other supporting staff.

The students and teachers will complete online coursework using the Canvas learning management system. Throughout the course, students will learn about a specific type of emerging technology, like augmented reality or virtual reality and use this technology to develop a creative solution to a social challenge. Teachers will also receive virtual trainings, which will allow them the opportunity to receive ASU professional development certificates and access to a national community of practice.

We are very excited for the implementation of this curriculum for our middle grades at MECHS to continue to provide a high-quality educational opportunity for our students and, of course, to do what’s best for them.