Workshop Presentation on VEGA Project
The Vega Project was started in 1997-8 school year as a collaboration between Notre Dame High School, San Jose, and The Tech Museum of Innovation.
It has grown beyond the walls of those two originating members to include 3 high schools in the Bay Area, and the growing sponsorships of several organizations.
The goal of the project is promote positive exposure of high school girls to technology and to the high tech opportunities available to them in this area.
The original participants, 25 high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors were active in their school's computer program or were recommended by a teacher for showing other characteristics that were seen as valuable for the program's success: leadership skills, artistic ability, desire to be more involved in the school's community.
The main tool, or product, of this project is designing web pages for non-profits or small local businesses.
The participants went through an application process, wrote a brief essay, needed a teacher recommendation, and a short interview with myself and project partner from TheTech, John Crossman.
We started teaching the participants html, web design, Adobe PhotoShop at TheTech two afternoons a week throughout the school year.
The participants chose the projects name: Vega, Amelia Earhart's favorite airplane, a truly global pioneer and explorer.
In addition to the above skills the students met with guest speakers, web designers, and had some real and virtual field trips.
Our first partnership for the participants was KidsVoting Silicon Valley.
The girls met with the Regional Director of KidsVoting, understood the web site needs of their "client", and understood the strict deadlines involved with the project.
Participants soon started about learning real life scenarios involving changing needs, and shrinking deadlines.
Outcomes for this project included meeting deadlines, a successful page used in KidsVoting Silicon Valley kickoff at San Jose State Arena, access to mentoring positions, and continuing work for several of the participants.
Success for the participants was seen as a web page that was available on the Internet, and met the needs as defined by the "clients".
Success for the project was seen as growing and continue interest and enthusiasm by the participants, their ability to expand membership, and find new opportunities to utilize their skills.
Another group of students from Presentation High School worked on Anita Borg's web site for her Women in Technology project sponsored by Xerox PARC. This project ran the entire school year of 1998-99. The students met with professional graphic designers, and were participants in brain storming sessions and workshops run on the Xerox PARC campus. The web site was launched and met all of the "clients" criteria.
Two additional teams are continuing projects currently.
Legato Systems is considering sponsoring and growing the project.
Many of the participants are involved with other technological opportunities evolving out of their Vega experience.
I am continuing to track the students as they graduate, chose their colleges, and make career decisions.
Benefits of Projects:
Ease of implementation
Amount of excitement the program generates among participants.
Win-win situation for all involved.
Mentoring spin offs for participants
Job related experience
College resume enhancement
Intense internship under supportive conditions
Issues of Concern:
Assessment and follow-up tool. Reliability issues for research purposes.
Stability of faculty facilitating the project at the high schools involved.
Growing the program and maintaining quality of execution.
Reality of "clients's" expectations need to be very clearly defined at project's first phase.
School calender and length of specific project.
Celebration of completed successful projects.
Additional questions welcomed.
I will bring more detailed statistics on participants and current follow-up.
I can also bring one or two of the participants as spokeswomen, (both will be seniors next September), if you are interested.
Hopefully a workshop participant,
Eve Kedar
Eve Kedar
Course Developer
Education Services
Legato Systems, Inc.
3210 Porter Drive
Palo Alto, CA 94304
www.legato.com ekedar@legato.com