TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 WHO WE ARE 4 SCHOOL-WIDE AWARDS & RECOGNITION 5 PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN ACTION 6 PROJECTS & OUTCOMES New Tech Institute helped me become a strong 8 COMMUNITY IMPACT leader through project-based learning. The STEM “ curriculum laid a great foundation for the success I’m experiencing as a student at Purdue University. I’m proud to say that I’m a part of NTI’s class of 9 IMPACT OF STEM 2017.” - Maddox W. • New Tech Institute Class of 2017 10 ROBOTICS • Cybersecurity Major at Purdue University in West Lafayette 12 SCIENCE FAIR 14 ARCHERY In middle school, I believed I was terrible at math and science. When I entered high school, I “ realized I wasn’t terrible, I just needed to be in an environment like New Tech’s to excel. The support 15 STUDENT LIFE/CLUBS from teachers who believed in me helped me to gain a love of learning. Project based learning presented difficult subjects to me in a way I could understand.”.” 16 STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS - Beatrice D. • New Tech HS senior and Engineering student at the Southern Indiana STUDENT CONNECTEDNESS 19 Career and Technical Center 20 KEEP IN TOUCH WHO WE ARE New Tech Institute began in August 2010 as an learning by discovering content in collaborative Innovative Model High School in the Evansville groups. These groups use technology to research Vanderburgh School Corporation. Our school is the content, and then they collaborate in person a member of the nationwide New Tech Network and electronically to create a culminating product of nearly 200 schools across the United States, that showcases their knowledge. Australia and China. We weave Science, Technology, Engineering and New Tech Network has Trust, Respect, and Math through all of our coursework to provide Responsibility as pillars of behavioral expectations. students a STEM-rich environment in which to Our core instructional strategy is Project-Based thrive. Learning, where students take ownership of their MISSION New Tech Institute provides students relevant project-based learning and leadership opportunities in an atmosphere of trust, respect, and responsibility. VISION New Tech Institute students will: - Visibly lead and contribute to STEM - Demonstrate initiative in continuous and Entrepreneurial Leadership learning as engaged and active projects connecting the community citizens, and the school, and will continue this - Identify, process, analyze, evaluate, leadership as graduates, and apply information and resources - Learn through a lens of project-based appropriately, and learning and collaboration, - Achieve personal success in navigating - Value themselves and their peers for college, career, and civic life. their personal, intrinsic worth, NTI’s staff will work collaboratively as a Professional Learning Community to inspire students to achieve this vision. (Adopted by NTI Faculty August 2014) Schoolwide Learning Outcomes (SWLOs) Knowledge and Thinking - The ability to reason, Oral Communication - The ability to effectively problem-solve, develop sound arguments communicate content knowledge and thinking or decisions, and create new ideas by using through oral interactions and presentations. appropriate sources and applying the knowledge Collaboration - The ability to demonstrate effective and skills of a discipline. communication, responsibility, initiative, and Written Communication - The ability to effectively leadership in order to be a productive member of communicate content knowledge and thinking diverse teams. through writing by organizing and structuring Agency - The ability to reflect on the development ideas and using discipline appropriate language of self-management skills, learning habits, and and conventions. mindsets. 3 SCHOOL-WIDE AWARDS & RECOGNITION In 2016 the Indiana Department of Education recognized New Tech Institute HS as an IDOE STEM-Certified School. This designation was the result of a rigorous application process in which we detailed how we integrate Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in all that we do at New Tech. The New Tech Network awarded New Tech Institute HS three consecutive years as an Exemplary School and Demonstration Site within the Network (2015, 2016, 2017), until the designation was replaced in 2017. Our school was one of a handful of New Tech schools from throughout the nationwide Network In 2019 the Battelle for Kids organization, chosen as a Demonstration Site, in conjunction with the Partnership for and we hosted two different school 21st Century Learning, named New Tech districts that were exploring Project- Institute HS a 21st Century Learning Based Learning and the New Exemplar – one of 18 learning Tech style of learning and organizations across the country instruction. for the year. Batelle for Kids recognized our school at a ceremony in Washington, DC in April 2019. New Tech Science Teacher Patrick Carter named Air Force Association Local and Indiana Teacher of the Year. As part of AFA’s mission to encourage aerospace education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, the TOY program ensures America’s aerospace excellence by supporting teachers who carry out that mission in the classroom. 4 PROJECT-BASED LEARNING Project-based (or Problem-based) learning involves hands-on and minds-on learning At New Tech, students learn everything included in the Indiana required coursework for graduation – but through the lens of project-based learning. Students work in collaborative groups to solve problems and answer questions. They are researching answers and formulating their learning into presentations where they share knowledge with one another. Our Special Projects class is working on two projects with deep ties to the community. Our mascot is the Thunderbolts, due to our school’s location close to the former Republic Aviation plant that built P-47 Thunderbolts during World War 2. We are building a 1/3-scale P-47 Thunderbolt, and hope to use actual metal from a P-47. We are dedicating our first P-47 to Major Allen Sanderson, who flew 118 missions aboard a P-47 in the US Army Air Corps. Another project has brought architectural plans from the 1930s to life once again. William Wesley Peters was the protégé of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright who graduated from Evansville College (now the University of Evansville). During the 1930s, Wes Peters designed and built prototype houses – and then sold them as dollhouses in the community. In 2016 Dr. Jim Renne from Indiana Landmarks shared the drawings of one of the dollhouses, and our Engineering teacher and students converted the drawing into the Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) Inventor software to generate plans for the house. Using the plans, students built the dollhouse to specification, and have since built the furniture, windows, roof shingles, and other details to bring the drawing to life. The house was on display at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science in late 2019, and it will move to its permanent home in the Peters-Margedant House on the campus of the University of Evansville in the near future. We were honored to have the work-in-progress version of the dollhouse on display in April 2017 for the dedication of the Peters-Margedant House. Brandoch Peters, son of Wes Peters and grandson of Frank Lloyd Wright, marveled that his father’s plans from the mid-1930s had been brought to life on computer and then in the form of the dollhouse. 5 01 Students in Advanced Art classes learned the process of printmaking. 02 All freshmen take Project Lead The Way Introduction to Engineering Design, and they work with Inventor on real-life examples of computer-aided drafting (CAD). 03 Seniors in our Entrepreneurial Academy experienced a Job Interview Clinic with professionals from local businesses. In a “full-circle” moment, one of our graduates from the first graduating class (2014) interviewed our current seniors as part of PROJECTS the clinic; Adam Elkins is a graduate of the University of Southern Indiana and works for Berry Global. 04 Students in Spanish classes created pinatas for the Fiesta Evansville competition in fall 2019, and one group won third place! 05 Students engaged in the “Progressive Era” and “Roaring 20s” projects. For the Roaring 20s, students visited the French Lick Springs Resort to take a step back in time to experience life in the 20s. Then they created a radio show as their culminating product to show what they learned. New Tech senior Josh Casson, also a student in the second-year Radio Broadcasting program at the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center, helped students with the technical aspects of creating the radio show. 06 During the “America at War” project, students interview local veterans as part of our “Hoosier Veterans Consortium.” They hear first-hand from veterans, record the interviews for posterity. This project was been recognized by the New Tech Network as a top-five finalist for “Best in Network” in 2018. 01 New Tech Institute High School has celebrated seven graduating classes, and we have graduated over 90% of our seniors in each cohort. Due to COVID-19, our Class of 2020 couldn’t have a May Graduation...but they celebrated in May by sharing pictures in their caps and gowns! 02 OUTCOMES The Class of 2020 earned $2.2 million in scholarship offers. 15% of the senior class earned an Indiana Honors diploma – while 19% earned both Academic and Technical Honors. 47% of the class earned the Indiana Governor’s Work Ethic Certificate. 03 Senior Joshua Casson enlisted in the United States Army in June 2020. 7 On November 1, 2019 New Tech’s students, staff, and parents participated raised 6,114 pounds of food for the Tri-State in the WFIE TV Sunrise School Spirit, and 5:00am to showcase our school, and even had Food Bank! Our students got to school at a tailgate breakfast in the parking lot! Each senior completed a senior project this year, with the focus on making an impact in our community.