Traditionally, a school has been defined by its walls, but a new pilot program is breaking down barriers by allowing students to take part in programs at other schools virtually.
The pilot program, a partnership with Bethesda-based global security technology and aerospace company Lockheed Martin, will provide technology at Fairmont Heights, Suitland and High Point high schools that will let students participate in classes taught at one of the other campuses. The program, being piloted at the three schools at a cost of $125,000, aims to provide access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics resources between schools, said Vennard Wright, director of Prince George’s County Office of Information Technology.
“If Fairmont Heights is doing something, and Suitland wants to take part in it, they can,” Wright said.
Students will be able to digitally “raise their hands,” signaling the teacher that they have a question, which the teacher could answer privately or share with the rest of the class.
Students also will be able to access additional content material from home, such as class videos, and send questions to the instructors outside of school.
Exact details for classes have not yet been worked out, Wright said.
“It’s Facebook from a technology standpoint, Skype for classroom usage,” Wright said. “This is the sort of technology students are already using, but it’s geared towards an academic usage.”
Wright said the program will allow schools to share access to STEM-related events, activities and resources and in the future could allow access to other programs as well.
All three schools in the pilot have STEM programs, Wright said.
The program will be tested by student interns with the county’s Office of Information Technology during the summer, Wright said, with the goal of expanding it to other high schools in the next school year.
Christian Rhodes, education adviser to County Executive Rushern Baker III (D), said the county executive is “pretty passionate” about the program.
Rhodes said the three schools were chosen because they are a part of the county executive’s Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative, an effort by county government to focus leadership and resources on six troubled areas in the county facing economic, public safety, academic and other challenges.
Rhodes said the county hopes the program can be expanded to include all of the TNI schools.
“What we’re looking to do is to standardize student opportunities across the board. All students should have an opportunity for STEM studies, not just those who attend schools with STEM programs, and this technology will help them achieve that,” Wright said.
Lockheed Martin will host the online space that the schools can access, as well as a central repository for software and materials. Cisco Systems Inc. will provide some of the teleconferencing equipment, said Christine King, Lockheed Martin’s director of emerging markets.
King said the program combines Lockheed Martin’s technological expertise with its mission to help provide students with the tools for academic development.
“Also, our team on this project are all alums of Prince George’s County, so they’re very excited, very passionate about giving back, and Lockheed Martin wants to ensure that there will be a continuing supply of highly trained potential employees from Prince George’s County,” King said
This story originally appeared in the May 13 edition of the Prince George’s Gazette.