East Palo Alto Academy High Students Focus on Academics in the Midst of Violence
Community invited to observe, judge student exhibitions

January 26, 2007
East Palo Alto Academy – High School

CONTACT: Adrienne Ratner, Humanities Teacher, East Palo Alto Academy – High School, (650) 207-0574, aratner@eastpaloaltoacademy.org

RELEVANT URLS:
East Palo Alto Academy High School

Stanford University: School of Education

MENLO PARK – Beginning Monday, January 29, East Palo Alto Academy – High School will host its annual week-long Junior Exhibitions at 475 Pope Street in Menlo Park. The public is invited to observe and participate as community judges.

In wake of the latest surge of violence affecting East Palo Alto, dozens of students at East Palo Alto Academy – High School are finding refuge at their school, preparing for their exhibitions into the wee hours. While all presentations will focus on the theme of 19th century immigration, students will tackle a wide range of topics, from the effects of 19th century factory work on family life, to the similarities and differences between the experiences of contemporary African Americans and 19th century immigrants.

According to teacher Marisol Castillo, students have spent two months preparing for the event, one of four annual exhibitions required for graduation from the high school. She described the project’s value. “Most of our students are first generation or immigrants themselves,” she said. “This project gives them an opportunity to think about their own families’ experiences and struggles in the abstract.”

She added, “We have also seen the project foster inter-racial empathy between African American students and those whose families immigrated recently. They are beginning to understand the similarities and differences between the two historical experiences.”

During the week of January 29, exhibitions will run on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., and on Wednesday from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. All students will present their work to a panel of judges consisting of community members, parents, teachers, and peers. The school holds community exhibitions to provide students with opportunities to present and defend their research in public settings. Community members interested in observing and serving as a panel judge should contact teacher Adrienne Ratner at (650) 207-0574 or aratner@eastpaloaltoacademy.org

Established in 2001, East Palo Alto Academy – High School is the first public high school serving East Palo Alto’s community since Ravenswood High was closed a quarter century ago as part of a desegregation order. Run by Stanford Schools Corporation, the college preparatory charter school has had continued success. Of the class of 2006, ninety-five percent were admitted into postsecondary institutions, and 37 percent have been admitted into four-year colleges.

East Palo Alto Academy – High School features a project-based curriculum tied to rigorous standards and performance assessments focused on college preparatory academics and the students’ own interests. The school, which serves 300 students, is a professional development school for the Stanford Teacher Education Program, which supports the curriculum and instruction and provides student teachers. About 60 percent of the high school’s teachers are graduates of the Stanford School of Education

--30--