New+Gen Academy Groundbreaking--Monday, August 17, 2009

Brooke and I served on a committee for an APS (Albuquerque Public Schools) first all tech high school. Our job was to come up with a name the new school's mission, message, and what the characteristics will be. The school board capital outlay committee did approve our new name: Nex+Gen Academy, pronounced Nexgen.

Some members of the committee were originally pushing for Camino Nuevo which I didn't like. That name sounded like an OLD car (remember the El Camino) to me and this was supposed to be a NEWer type of school. Luckily, there is some correction facility with that name (WHEW!). Jon Price (committee member who works at Intel) and Brooke were discussing how kids today are what they call "digital natives" (A digital native is a person for whom digital technologies already existed when they were born, and hence has grown up with digital technology). This branding direction pushed the committee towards a more modern name: Nex+Gen Academy.

Brooke, and the other two students who served on the committee were part of the groundbreaking ceremony with New Mexico Senator, Jeff Bingaman. Brooke was interviewed by both Channel 13 (KRQE) and Channel 7 (KOAT) news.

Link to video of Brooke being interviewed on KRQE news:

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/krqe_mornings/mornings_krqe_albuquerque_new_magnet_school_breaks_ground_200908180645

Link to video of Brooke being interviewed on KOAT news:

http://www.koat.com/video/20437978/index.html

Here are some pictures from the event...
Senator Bingaman with Del Norte High School Student Body President and the other students who served on the naming committee.

My friend, Andrea Schoellkopf, writes for the Albuquerque Journal (newspaper). This was her (and son Daniel) interviewing Senator Bingaman.

With APS Superintendent Winston Brooks.

Brooke getting interviewed by KRQE News.

Next interview: KOAT News.

With New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman.

Comments

Kim said…
how funny is this... finding happiness commercial is what shows first!!!