High Schools to Teach App Development in New STEM Communities

  • By Staff
  • 09/19/17

Lenovo and NAF, a nonprofit education network, this school year have opened 68 new NAF academies, or small learning communities within traditional high schools.

NAF academies are designed to provide underserved high school students with comprehensive and “career-themed” STEM education curricula focused on five areas: finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering and health sciences.

Students at 57 academies will have a chance to develop Android mobile apps using Lenovo devices and win tech prizes, for example, as part of the Lenovo Scholar Network’s annual app challenge. NAF’s mobile app development program is centered around using the MIT App Inventor developer platform. It caters to reaching students in underrepresented communities, according to the NAF website.  

For teachers, NAF academies offer a flexible structure that encourages collaboration across subject areas. The structure emphasizes personalization to meet student, school, district and state goals as well.   

The 68 academies opening for the 2017-2018 school year bring the Lenovo Scholar Network’s total to 118 academies. These learning communities serve approximately 5,000 students in 21 states — with a goal to reach 10,000 additional students over the next three years, a news release stated.

To view the full list of participating schools or learn more, visit the NAF Scholar Network site.

Featured

  • AI toolbox containing a wrench, document icon, gears, and a network symbol

    Common Sense Media Releases Free AI Toolkit, AI Readiness & Implementation Guides

    Common Sense Media has developed an AI Toolkit for School Districts, available to educators free of charge, that provides guidelines and resources for implementing AI in education.

  • elementary school building with children outside, overlaid by a glowing data network and transparent graphs

    Toward a Holistic Approach to Data-Informed Decision-Making in Education

    With increasing access to data and powerful analytic tools, the temptation to reduce educational outcomes to mere numbers is strong. However, educational leadership demands a more holistic and thoughtful approach.

  • three silhouetted education technology leaders with thought bubbles containing AI-related icons

    Ed Tech Leaders Rank Generative AI as Top Tech Priority

    In a recent CoSN survey, an overwhelming majority of ed tech leaders (94%) said they see AI as having a positive impact on education. Respondents ranked generative AI as their top tech priority, with 80% reporting their districts have gen AI initiatives underway, or plan to in the current school year.

  • AI-powered individual working calmly on one side and a burnt-out person slumped over a laptop on the other

    AI's Productivity Gains Come at a Cost

    A recent academic study found that as companies adopt AI tools, they're not just streamlining workflows — they're piling on new demands. Researchers determined that "AI technostress" is driving burnout and disrupting personal lives, even as organizations hail productivity gains.