Tech Collective has partnered with the National Academy Foundation (www.naf.org) to implement and coordinate the development of Academies of Information Technology (AOIT) in Rhode Island.  Currently there are AOIT programs in five schools statewide - the Area Career and Technical Centers in Woonsocket and Newport, Hope High in Providence, Davies Career and Technical High School, Lincoln; and Mt. Hope(Bristol/Warren) High School.  In 2000, Verizon Communications, a major supporter of NAF's AOIT program deepened its commitment to the Academy by providing Tech Collective with a $100,000 grant to strengthen AOIT programs in Rhode Island.  The Newport Area Career and Technical Center and the Woonsocket Area Career and Tech Center were among the first to have received grants totalling more than $22,000.

 

The National Academy Foundation, one of the nation's foremost school-to-career programs, launched the AOIT to address the growing demand for core IT workers across the country.  It helps to create an employee pipeline by educating young people about career possibilities and helping them to build skills at the age when they are just beginning to think about their futures: in high school.  The AOIT is designed to be flexible and enhance the successful teaching and learning at partnering schools.  The curriculum is standards based-developed utilizing the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technology information technology skills standards; a project funded by the National Science Foundation.  Lesson plans are designed to integrate English, math and language arts through hands-on projects.  In addition, the academy model incorporates business partnerships to provide career awareness and exploration activities in information technology.

 

Tech Collective advocacy results in New England Institute of Technology recognizing academic credits of RI Academies of Information Technology.  New articulation agreement means that AOIT students can earn college credits in high school for NEIT degree programs. "This new articulation agreement with NEIT, the first in the country, and first in Rhode Island, is a tribute to the work of Tech Collective, which has championed NAF's AOIT program for RI students, and NEIT for recognizing that this program is consistent with their objective of student success in the IT field," said Gregg Betheil, VP, Academy Programs, NAF. Students in the programs who earn a grade of "B" or better in courses comparable to those offered by NEIT in the core curriculum for the Information Technology Associate Degree Program, are eligible.  (See "News" page for complete media release.)

 

Congratulations to Tech Collective's JoAnn Johnson for being named to NAF's Advisory Board Leadership Council!  Over the years, the Advisory Board Leadership Council has been extremely helpful to NAF in providing insight into business issues affecting education, being the eyes and ears of NAF in business circles all over the country, providing help to NAF on a myriad of projects and initiatives, and helping many thousands of members of the NAF network, educators and students improve the overall quality of their Academies.  Other ABLC member organizations include: Sallie Mae, Washington, DC; Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Washington DC; Indiana Society of CPAs; Sullivan County Community College, NY; State Farm Insurance, Florida; Communicating Arts Credit Union, Detroit; and CitiGroup, NY City.

 

Tech Collective has established a scholarship for Rhode Island high school students who are enrolled in the Academy of Information Technology program, and are interested in pursuing higher education in either Information Technology, Data Networking, Telecommunications, or New Media.  It is for students who demonstrate commitment, dedication, strong academic record, leadership and a determination to gain higher education.  Scholars who attend an institution of higher education will receive a one-time scholarship of $1,000.

 

Tech Collective is looking for business partners who can support our local Academies through serving on local advisory boards, providing paid internships for students and externships for teachers,offering job shadowing and mentoring experiences, making available in-kind and financial support, and helping to design curriculum.  During the past school year, Tech Collective saw a tremendous increase in support by the technology industry.  Over 100 community and business leaders provided classroom and career fair speakers, industry tours, job shadows, internships and are engaged in the activities of the local advisory boards.

 

We hope you, too, will join the more than 1,000 business partners who currently support the work of the National Academy Foundation.

 

For more information on the National Academy Foundation or to request a copy of their Planning Guide, go to www.naf.org. To find out more about the AOITs in RI and how you can become involved, contact JoAnn Johnson, Manager of Education Partnerships at 521-7805 x 103 or email: jjohnson@tech-collective.org.