$265,000 grant aims to improve student interest and achievement in math & science
 
Atlanta, Georgia, June 4, 2009 – The Archdiocese of Atlanta was selected as one of 25 school systems in the United States to receive a highly competitive 2009 HP Innovations in Education grant. Targeted at school systems serving students in grades 6 through 12, the grant program is designed to help educators address the need for raising student achievement in math and science and increase student awareness in high-tech college and career opportunities.
 
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School, an Archdiocesan school located just south of Atlanta, will receive an HP Innovations in Education award package of HP technology, cash, and professional services valued at more than $265,000. Technologies such as wireless HP tablet PCs, wide-format HP DesignJet printers, high-power mobile workstations, mini-notebook PCs, and HP graphing calculators, will be used in innovative ways to fundamentally redesign the student learning experience.
 
A team of teachers and administrators from Our Lady of Mercy and the Archdiocese of Atlanta developed the winning proposal entitled, “Project INTEL: Integrating Nature and Technology for Enhanced Learning.” The overall goal of the project is to revolutionize college-preparatory teaching and learning through the integration of technology, the natural environment, and traditional classroom settings. At the end of the two-year grant period, the Project INTEL Team hopes that students, teachers, and the greater community will have benefitted from “Intel…Outside.”
 
The proposal team was comprised of Our Lady of Mercy High School staff, including Danny Dorsel, Principal; JoAnn McPherson, Assistant Principal; Mark Roshak, IT Director; Monica Haaland, Director of Advancement; and department chairs Sergio Burguet, Anthony Nelson, and Sharon Shaw. Other Mercy teachers on the Project Team are Ana DeMello, Ben Eidson, Matt Hofkes, and Dr. Vincent Nwogu. Tom Campbell, Associate Superintendent of Schools, and Tom Pope, Director of Information Technology, are the Archdiocesan representatives on the team with assistance from Bill Wider, Development Associate, during the grant-writing phase of the project.
 
For Project INTEL, a section of Our Lady of Mercy’s 54-acre campus will be transformed into a dynamic and sustainable outdoor learning laboratory. Outdoor features that students will design and implement include a fruit and vegetable garden, birdhouses and other small animal habitats, a weather station, a pond with a windmill-generated waterfall and an erosion study area. The project is designed to increase students’ ownership of the learning process, improve their team-building and research skills, and increase interest in math, science, and technology. The project also encourages community service by addressing real-world issues such as hunger and waste reduction.  Fruits and vegetables grown in the school’s new garden will be donated to local food banks. Recycling and composting components are in the plans as well.
 
In addition to HP technology, the grant supports the 8 participating Our Lady of Mercy teachers with top-notch professional development resources through the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). ISTE will provide mentors, online resources, workshops, and conferences to help the project team with implementation and evaluation throughout the 2-year grant period.
 
The technology and professional development funded by the grant not only provide innovative educational opportunities, but they also support Mercy’s overall goals. “Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School always strives for academic excellence,” said Danny Dorsel, Principal of Our Lady of Mercy. “The blessing of the HP Innovations in Education Grant certainly helps us accomplish that major goal.  We are very appreciative and humbled by HP’s generosity and look forward to our partnership with them.”
 
HP technology will be integrated into Mercy’s existing curriculum to allow students to conduct hands-on experiments in the outdoor learning laboratory. For example, calculus students will use HP Tablet PCs to determine the angles of elevation needed for proper drainage of the habitat. The HP Mobile Calculating Lab will be used by biology students to investigate factors affecting rates of photosynthesis. To teach students about alternative forms of energy, physics classes will use HP Tablet PCs to design windmills that will provide electrical energy for the pond’s waterfall pump.
 
Technology provided by the grant will also serve as a bridge connecting Mercy students with the greater community. Students will use powerful HP Mobile Workstations to design, build, and maintain the project’s website, www.OurVirtualGarden.com, that will feature an online garden. In addition, HP’s Virtual Training Room and DyKnow Software Suite will help create virtual learning environments by connecting students in Mercy classrooms with experts from local high-tech businesses and universities for online discussions and collaboration.
 
Tom Campbell, Associate Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, is thankful for this unique opportunity: “The Archdiocese of Atlanta is most grateful to HP for their recognition of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School’s vision and commitment to excellence through the awarding of the Project INTEL grant,” said Campbell. “The entire Archdiocese is extremely proud of the outstanding quality of the academic programs at Our Lady of Mercy. We believe that the resources provided by the Innovations in Education grant will build on the current technology initiatives of the school and the Archdiocese and make an excellent academic program even better.”
 
The Office of Catholic Schools within the Archdiocese of Atlanta is committed to student success and continuous improvement in all aspects of education in its schools. One example of this commitment is the ongoing curriculum review and revision process in which all 18 schools have been engaged. The high standards and expectations established by the revised curriculum guides provide students with the content knowledge and academic skills they need to succeed in the 21st Century. “The incredible opportunities provided through the HP Innovations in Education grant will serve to complement the Archdiocesan initiatives,” stated Diane Starkovich, Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese. “It will also allow Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School to become a leader in the Archdiocese in the interdisciplinary application of technology in the classroom.”
 
Worldwide, HP is investing more than $17 million in mobile technology, cash and professional development as part of the global 2009 HP Innovations in Education grant initiative. This initiative follows HP’s five-year, $60M investment in HP Technology for Teaching grants to more than 1,000 schools and universities in 41 countries. During the past 20 years, HP has contributed more than $1 billion in cash and equipment to schools, universities, community organizations and other nonprofit organizations around the world.
 
“Innovation is key to expanding education opportunity – and HP is privileged to collaborate with educators around the world who are committed to exploring the exciting possibilities that exist at the intersection of teaching, learning, and technology,” said Jim Vanides, Worldwide Program Manager for HP Global Social Investments. “Emerging evidence from the last five years is very positive – excellent instruction combined with the right technologies is measurably improving student academic success.” 
 
More information about the 2009 HP Innovations in Education initiative and other global social investments is available at www.hp.com/go/grants.   
 
More information about the Archdiocese of Atlanta is available at www.archatl.com.