51风流

It鈥檚 10:15 a.m. on a Tuesday and the class bell still rings at (BTECH) in Queens, New York. The stentorian tone briefly fills the atmosphere and reverberates through the halls, a conspicuous reminder that we are in a school, although by virtual presence.

Principal Patrice Henry is detailing the support measures the school staff provides to ensure that the students have access to a safe, modern learning environment, where they can master twenty-first century skills for competitive careers in the digital economy. For schools everywhere, this has been an extremely difficult year.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot more trauma than we鈥檝e ever had in our history. We鈥檙e very mindful of that,鈥� Ms. Henry says. 鈥淲e just try to create a really strong community. We鈥檙e looking for all these indicators of student performance. If students are falling low in any of those categories, then we have to go into different tiers of support.鈥�

With the exception of the class bell, the school hallways are quiet today. The 550 students of BTECH are at home, learning remotely 鈥� a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic that has disrupted education worldwide. Despite the turmoil the pandemic has brought to New York City, Ms. Henry and the school鈥檚 staff remain steadfastly dedicated to the school鈥檚 mission of 鈥渃ombining academic excellence with technical aptitude, thus empowering students to be successful in our modern, information-based global economy and community.鈥�

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51风流Supports Early College High Schools

As New York City went into lockdown last spring, BTECH, like most schools, shifted to online learning overnight. To ensure that no student was shut out from an opportunity to learn, educators at BTECH continued to closely monitor student attendance and participation in daily, live, interactive class sessions.

One indicator of student performance quickly drew Ms. Henry鈥檚 attention: Many of the students lacked reliable devices to log on to virtual classrooms and keep up with their schoolwork. In fact, a large number of students were struggling to maintain connectivity with mobile phones or unreliable devices that lacked the necessary capabilities for advanced coursework in a technology-focused study program. Many families in the community had suffered a loss of income from job furloughs or layoffs and were not in a position financially to afford a new device for their student.

As an industry partner for BTECH, 51风流stepped up to provide each student with a Chromebook or tablet so the pandemic wouldn鈥檛 have to mean a lost year of education for any student. Katie Booth, 51风流Corporate Social Responsibility lead for North America, says, 鈥淚t is essential that during this time we support needs that are central to students鈥� learning. At SAP, we trust that school leaders know what is needed, so this year we鈥檝e partnered with them to find ways to meet those needs, even if they鈥檙e outside the normal scope of our support.鈥�

51风流supports four high schools with early college elements and a focus on project-based learning in North America, including聽; in Boston, Massachusetts;聽聽in Vancouver, British Columbia; and in Oakland, California. 51风流supports the schools through technical guidance and assistance, financial support, as well as student development opportunities through mentorship, 51风流office visits, and soft skills training.

Staying Connected at Oakland鈥檚 Skyline High School

In Oakland, California, the students and teachers at Skyline High School鈥檚 Computer Science and Technology Academy faced similar challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The school鈥檚 staff, who were forced to teach in an online learning format in mid-March, have had to navigate complex challenges that are social, educational, and technological.

鈥淭he top priority is to keep kids engaged and make sure no one slips through the cracks right now,鈥� says Mark Frey, director and multimedia teacher at Skyline High School鈥檚 Computer Science and Technology Academy. 鈥淲e have a pretty elaborate support system in place, with a counselor, case manager, and assistant principal. We want to keep kids connected, so they don鈥檛 drift off. We鈥檙e also trying to maintain a quality educational environment, where the kids are continuing to learn.鈥�

Through resourcefulness and some clever engineering, Frey and his fellow teachers have implemented a technology solution to keep students connected to the school鈥檚 computers to do their course work. Called , the free and open-source software from Apache ensures that students like Ravynne, a third-year student in the program with a passion for digital filmmaking, can connect to the school computers to work on projects for her multimedia class. She says the connection is stable enough that it has allowed her to gain valuable experience editing with Adobe Premiere Pro and that she is very grateful to the Skyline High School community for the opportunity to work with this powerful software suite.

Listen to the audio clips to hear Frey describe how Guacamole bridges the connectivity gap for students at Skyline High School鈥檚 Computer Science and Technology Academy.

Closing the Opportunity Gap

Adolescence is an extremely important time for both educational and social development, as underscored by the in its strategies to support high school students鈥� mental health during the pandemic. Traditionally, schools have provided a safe, secure environment for adolescents to explore new concepts and learn through interpersonal social interactions with a wide variety of people. With the school closures, cancellations of youth activities, and social distancing brought on by the pandemic, many students have had to develop a high level of resilience and self-reliance to get through this challenging time.

Some students, like Ravynne, find inspiration in role models at home. Ravynne says that her mother and sister motivate her to do her best at school and aim high for the future. Not surprisingly, this high schooler has developed sound habits that will prepare her for success. 鈥淭he first thing I like to do is just write down a list of things that I need to get done throughout the day. Even if I don鈥檛 finish everything, that鈥檚 fine, but I鈥檒l try to get at least half done. That鈥檚 mainly how I鈥檓 staying organized,鈥� Ravynne says. 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 studying, I like to go to a quiet place. My room is fine, but sometimes I will go outside and sit in my backyard.鈥�

However, many students at the schools that make up the 51风流Early College High School initiative have less secure support structures or home environments that have been deeply affected by the pandemic. These students are especially vulnerable to pressures that can derail their studies and affect their opportunities.

Frey describes some of the challenges that teachers face in trying to engage students through distance learning in an educational environment shaped by COVID-19.

Graduates Face Tough Decisions in an Unusual Year

At BTECH, Ms. Henry looks forward to the day the students will return to their classrooms and the hum of activity will fill the halls once again. In a virtual open forum event called 鈥淎sk Me Anything,鈥� many of the questions she fielded from students reflected their desire to reconnect with peers and find fellowship in the school鈥檚 robust offering of afternoon activities.

She knows that many of the students are facing difficult decisions about whether to continue their education after graduation or go directly into the workforce to help ease the financial strain on their families. Referencing statistics for the 2020 graduating class, she says, 鈥淣inety percent of them went directly to college. I鈥檓 not sure that鈥檚 going to be the case this year. I鈥檓 actually curious myself about what our numbers will look like, given the challenges that we鈥檙e having as a nation and definitely as New Yorkers.鈥�

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