Stephen Wilmarth (MGP2006 participant) of the Center for 21st Century Skills ( http://www.21skills.org ), is heading up the Connecticut High School Innovation Challenge, with workforce-development funds from the state and proceeds from a court-ordered school desegregation settlement. Wilmarth outlined the initiative on Oct. 7, at a workshop during the Action Coalition for Media Education's biennial convention in Burlington, Vt. The effort this fall and through the 2007 school year will involve 800 students across Connecticut who will learn multimedia project-presentation skills in a process of engaged learning. "Our kids are emotionally ready for it," says Wilmarth, acknowledging that sometimes the hardest challenge is to bring along teachers and administrators who are not as tech-savvy as their students. In the challenge, students form a "mock" company, then identify a problem and develop an Internet-based solution that involves collaboration and services. They describe their solution in a detailed white paper, develop a prototype, marketing materials, a website an an "eportfolio" which documents the entire procuess. The effort includes field trips the IBM Corp. conference center and a May 12, 2007 exposition and awards ceremony at the Connecticut Convention Center. For more information see:
http://www.ctcareerchoices.org/challenge/
