Schools
Multnomah Education Service District: Donald E. Long Students Win Awards For STEM Challenge
Students who attend the Donald E. Long School participated in a national science, technology, engineering and math challenge in November.
December 14, 2021
"We wanted our homes to also be environmentally friendly, by using wind power. We also were building solar panels too, that we learned from science class" - J., Unconstruct third place winner and student at the Donald E. Long School
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Students who attend the Donald E. Long School participated in a national science, technology, engineering and math challenge in November. Two student duos won awards for their innovative and empathetic work.
The contest, Unconstruct, focused on problem-solving the intersection of COVID-19 and the housing crisis.
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The national eviction ban expired in October. The moratorium ending influenced the focus of the challenge, according to Jennifer Hastings, DEL Teacher. Considering what families face during this time was a core aspect of class content for the challenge.
"I thought it would be cool if the family could just go upstairs to their roof and pick apples, carrots, and never have to worry about how to pay for fruits and vegetables," said E., a DEL student who won third place.
E. said he wants to pursue mechanics.
"I want to build mechanical things, like real windmills, like we learned about in science," said E. "So one day everyone won't have to worry about how to get their food or electricity."
E.'s project teammate J. shared his interest in sustainable energy.
"We wanted our homes to also be environmentally friendly, by using wind power," said J. "We also were building solar panels too, that we learned from science class."
One of the first-place winners, O., helped create what he calls the Basketballer's Mentor Mansion. His favorite part of the project was learning about environmental science and engineering.
"I didn't know what an engineer even was [before this challenge], but, I love science and want more science," said O. "I want to learn more about how I can make money as a scientist now."
Unconstruct is part of BreakFree Education, an education resource that partners with juvenile justice agencies. Donald E. Long School is a juvenile detention education program that Multnomah Education Service District offers inside the DEL facility. The partnership also includes Multnomah County Juvenile Services Division.
As featured in the BreakFree newsletter, "With their winning design, Q & O created a healthy living home for both young men and elders, centered around mentorship and basketball. Their design included a full-court gym, a pool, multi-storied housing structure, and rooftop green space."
Featured Event
TONIGHT: Featured Event from the Equity and Inclusion Advancement Committee
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Neuroscience connections and youth mental health collaborations with the Alternative Pathways/Trio program at MESD were mentioned on the NW NOGGIN website Dec. 11, 2021.
Upcoming Events
Dec. 15: Developing Digital Detectives with guest speaker, Darren Hudgins
Jan. 13: Finding Work / Life Harmony: K-12
Jan. 27: Boosting Language Development for English Learners Across the Curriculum: K-12
Feb. 10: Building Teacher & Student Agency: Offering Voice & Choice, 6-12
This press release was produced by Multnomah Education Service District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
