News
For Immediate Release
CONTACT
Candice Dodson
Executive Director
SETDA
202-715-6636 x700
[email protected]
SETDA Announces Mineola Middle School as 2019 Student Voices Award Winner
Students will present details about their project-based, digital learning experiences to over 250 state and national education leaders and policy makers in November 2019.
July 15, 2019 (Washington, D.C.) – SETDA, the principal membership association representing U.S. state and territorial digital learning leaders, announced Mineola Middle School from Mineola, New York as the 2019 SETDA Student Voices Award Winner. SETDA recognized Mineola for leveraging technology to dramatically improve educational experiences and achievement for their students.
Students at Mineola Middle School are immersed in digital learning environments to support equitable learning opportunities for all. An exemplar for innovative learning practices, Mineola’s Middle School students participated in a schoolwide, project-based learning unit around Economics, Community, and Business which incorporated cross-curricular content and provided the opportunity to collaborate with community leaders and non-profit organizations.
The 2019 Student Voices Award is underwritten through the support and corporate partnership of AT&T Aspire. “At AT&T, we recognize the importance of programs that help connect young people with the technological and soft skills they’ll need for future success” said Mylayna Albright, assistant vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility at AT&T. “We’re excited to celebrate Mineola Middle School as the 2019 SETDA Student Voices Award Winner and are inspired by their commitment to finding innovative ways to integrate technology into the classroom.”
In addition to the Student Voices Award, SETDA awarded Mineola Middle School the Elsie Brumback Scholarship. The scholarship provides support for the delegation of students and staff who are slated to travel to Washington, D.C. to present at the annual SETDA Leadership Summit on November 4, 2019 before an audience of national education leaders.
For the past twelve consecutive years, SETDA has honored one school annually across the nation. This is the first time that a New York school has received the award. Five finalists were selected from a large slate of U.S. K-12 innovative digital learning programs including:
Mineola Middle School of Mineola, New York (Winner)
The Learning Center of Fayette County Schools, Kentucky (1st Runner Up)
McHenry Elementary School, District 15 McHenry, Illinois (Finalist)
East Grand School, RSU 84, Danforth, Maine (Finalist)
Community School of Excellence, Saint Paul, Minnesota (Finalist)
“SETDA is thrilled to partner with Mineola Middle School to inspire and inform educators from across the nation,” stated Christine Fox, Deputy Executive Director, SETDA. “We look forward to learning from student successes during the 2019 Leadership Summit as students will share how project-based, digital learning experiences positively impact not only their educational opportunities, but also their preparation for the workforce.”
“Mineola Middle School is very excited to be recognized for its commitment to integrating educational technology into instructional practices, embedding hands-on design thinking experiences to engage students in collaborative group work, and enhancing student experience through meaningful partnerships with the surrounding community,” said Andrew Casale, Principal, Mineola Middle School. “We look forward to the opportunity to attend and present at the SETDA Leadership Summit. Our students, our greatest ambassadors for the teaching and learning taking place in our school, will benefit from the opportunity to speak about and reflect on their process; the obstacles they faced, the solutions they were able to propose and their impact on a community initiative.”
Learn more about the Student Voices Award and past winners here: https://www.setda.org/outreach/awards/student-voices/
Support
Thank you to AT&T Aspire for supporting the Student Voices 2019. AT&T invests in education and job training to create a skilled and diverse workforce that powers our country for the future. Technology is making it easier for everyone – regardless of age, gender, income or geography – to learn anytime, anywhere. Through the AT&T Aspire initiative, AT&T brings together the power of its network – its employees, its technology and organizations – to connect people to opportunities through education and job training. Since 2008, AT&T has committed $500 million to programs to help millions of students in all 50 states and around the world. Learn more at att.com/aspire.
About SETDA
The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), founded in 2001, is the national non-profit association representing the interests of U.S. state and territorial educational technology leadership. SETDA’s mission is to build and increase the capacity of state and national leaders to improve education through technology policy and practice.