Warren Easton Charter High School Selected to Join the Lenovo Scholar Network

Warren Easton Charter High School is excited to announce their selection for the 2015-2016 Lenovo Scholar Network. The program, now in its second year, provides select NAF academies across the country with a comprehensive mobile application development curriculum, promoting critical thinking, team building and analytical skills needed to create the next generation of developers and innovators. Warren Easton is one of 20 NAF academies across the US selected to participate in the Lenovo Scholar Network during the 2015-2016 academic year, and the only school from Louisiana selected.

The Easton students involved in the program will participate in a project-based competition focused on designing and developing a mobile app and a business plan for taking the app to market.

Through the Lenovo Scholar Network, students from Warren Easton will participate in mobile app development experiences that provide them with knowledge, resources, and practical experience to support their college and future career success. The Lenovo Scholar Network is designed to encourage greater interest among underserved high school students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects while providing them with the high-tech skills needed to succeed in the 21st century.

“After the success of our inaugural year, we look forward to continuing our partnership with NAF academies and their students through the Lenovo Scholar Network, providing students with the STEM skills needed to succeed in today’s workplace,” said Jason Mooneyham, vice president of Public Sector, Lenovo North America. “The high school students at the 20 academies selected to join the Lenovo Scholar Network in academic year 2015/2016 will participate in a robust mobile app development program designed to enrich their critical thinking, team building and analytical skills, and provide them with real-world learning opportunities. We are excited to enable this new class of scholars with the technology and skills they need to help them become the next generation of developers and innovators.”

Last school year, more than 400 hundred students from 10 NAF Academies of Information Technology participated in the Lenovo Scholar Network. This year, the program will expand to include students from across all of NAF’s career themes, including engineering, finance, health sciences, and hospitality and tourism.

As part of the program, students at Warren Easton will be granted access to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab’s App Inventor development tool, a web-based tool for creating Android apps, to build and test their apps on Lenovo devices. NAF and MIT work together to provide technical assistance and to develop support materials for teachers using MIT App Inventor.

This year, in conjunction with MIT, NAF will offer access to a self-guided course for Warren Easton teachers on App Inventor, an in-person teacher training, and regular “open office hours” with MIT staff via Google Hangout. Lenovo will provide each of the participating schools ThinkPad laptops and YOGA Android tablets – a total investment of more than $500,000 over the three years of the program. These laptops and tablets will be used to aid students in the coding, testing and development of their mobile apps and help teachers and mentors with the implementation of the curriculum.

To find out more about the Lenovo Scholar Network and follow along with students’ app creation journey, visit www.lenovoscholars.com or check out the #LenovoScholars hashtag on social media.  For more information on Warren Easton, visit www.warreneastoncharterhigh.org

About Lenovo
Lenovo is a $46 billion global Fortune 500 company and a leader in providing innovative consumer, commercial, and enterprise technology. Our portfolio of high-quality, secure products and services covers PCs (including the legendary Think and multimode YOGA brands), workstations, servers, storage, smart TVs and a family of mobile products like smartphones (including the Motorola brand), tablets and apps. Join us on LinkedIn, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@Lenovo) or visit us at www.lenovo.com.
 
About NAF
NAF is a national network of education, business, and community leaders who work together to ensure high school students are college, career, and future ready. NAF’s educational design ignites students’ passion for learning and gives businesses the opportunity to shape America’s future workforce by transforming the learning environment to include STEM infused industry-specific curricula and work-based learning experiences, including internships. Since 1982, NAF has been partnering with existing high schools in high-needs communities to enhance school systems at a low cost by implementing NAF academies – small learning communities within traditional high schools. NAF has grown from one NAF Academy of Finance in New York City to hundreds of academies across the country focusing on growing industries including: finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences. During the 2014-15 school year nearly 82,000 students attended 667 NAF academies across 38 states, including DC and the US Virgin Islands. In 2014, NAF academies reported 97% of seniors graduated with 93% of graduates planning to go to college. For more information visit naf.org.

About Warren Easton Charter High:
Warren Easton, a high-performing, U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School, develops a strong sense of responsibility, respect, and courtesy in each student and keeps each engaged with a rigorous and relevant curriculum. Easton boasts strong business, technology, arts and educational opportunities for all its students. It has a high graduation rate, and a dropout rate of less than one percent. Its staff is dedicated to providing a safe-home environment for all those educated under its roof.   www.warreneastoncharterhigh.org