Week 31: CD & 10th Grade Camp Retreat

Posted on by

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

This week, we have a special schedule to accommodate our all-school community dialogue this week! And, we are looking forward to sending our 10th graders on the all-day Camp Retreat this Friday. See the bell schedule for the week below:

10th Grade Retreat to Running Springs (Friday, 4/22): Our 10th grade students are scheduled to spend all day Friday, April 22nd in Running Springs, California (near Big Bear Lake)! We are asking all 10th grade students to arrive at DVD by 8:30am on Friday so that we can board buses and leave by 9am. We will be returning to DVD around 9:00pm that evening. Please see information about what to bring (and what not to bring) at this link:

Since we are going into the mountains, the weather on Friday is looking to be cold in the morning and evening, but will be warmer and sunnier during the day while we are there. In addition to bringing a water bottle and sunscreen, we recommend students do wear pants and bring a hoodie/sweater along with a light waterproof jacket just to be ready for any weather.
There will be plenty of fun things to do at camp from outdoor games like frisbee golf and soccer, to indoor games and a rock climbing room. Additionally, student will participate in meaningful discussions and opportunities to connect with their peers. Students can bring phones and headphones with them on the bus, but will leave them in a safe location with staff while at camp to be able to focus on the activities planned.
10th graders: Please return signed permission slips no later than Thursday, April 21st. Students should give their permission slips to their advisory teacher.
Posted in 09 Grade, 10 Grade, 11 Grade, 12 Grade

New Internship Opportunities

Posted on by

Hello Da Vinci Scholars,

Welcome back from Spring Break! I hope you are all refreshed and ready to finish the semester strong. Here are my announcements for the week:

👩🏻‍💻🧑🏽‍💻 The Oppti Internship Placement Program offers students the opportunity to intern at different companies virtually all-year-round. Students are matched with companies based on their interests which can include Social Media Marketing, Public Relations, UI-UX, and more! You can be matched to work in sports, beauty, fitness, real estate, among other fields. Apply today – Limited Space is Available.

☎️  Teen Line is looking for volunteers in the 9th and 10th grades that are interested in mental health and who want to support teens that call the hotline. Applications and references are due on Thursday, May 12 before 1 pm. To apply, please click here: Link

📢  Applications are open for UCLA’s Big Data for Justice Summer Institute focused on criminal justice in Los Angeles. The institute is free* and open to all seniors who are graduating this summer. This is a 4-week program designed to develop your ability to analyze data using digital technologies. Students will collaborate with community organizations to conduct analyses on arrests by the Los Angeles Police Department. To apply, please click here: Link
*The fee you see on the website is waived to make it accessible for all those who are interested in applying.

😎  GLCO is awarding two $10,000 scholarships to students graduating from a Los Angeles high school by the end of the 2021-22 academic year who identify as black, indigenous, and people of color who have an interest in pursuing a career in the eyewear industry (making reading and sunglasses). If you receive this scholarship you will be able to participate in a paid summer internship the following year. To learn more, please click here: Link

🤖  Afro Animation Virtual Summit 2.0 is the largest virtual summit for recruiting black artists who want to become animators. You can register for free here: Link

✈️  The El Segundo Western Museum of Flight is seeking a volunteer to support their work around the upcoming Women in Aerospace Exhibit. To learn more, please click here: Link

If you have any questions about any of these opportunities, please contact Crissel at crodriguez@davincischools.org.

Posted in Real World Learning

Exhibition Wrap Up

Posted on by

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

It was so great to see all of you this week at Exhibition Night! We are so proud of the work of our amazing students: from the incredible designs of zines and posters, to the thought provoking photography and spoken word, and of course to the awesome displays of architectural models and art work – we celebrate it all! Hats off to our excellent and collaborative teaching staff for the hard work and coordination it took to help our Design students shine so brightly. See some highlights below!

Wishing all of our students, families and staff a restful and amazing Spring Break! School resumes on Monday, April 18th.

Posted in 09 Grade, 10 Grade, 11 Grade, 12 Grade

Join Us for Our Exhibition Nights!

Posted on by

exhibition flyer

We are delighted to invite our DVD Families and friends onto campus today, April 6th and tomorrow, April 7th from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm for our Exhibition Nights!

We will be showcasing grades 11 & 12 today and grades 9 & 10 tomorrow (4/7). Families and community guests are welcome to come see all of the amazing work that students have been doing.

This is a masked event. All visitors are required to wear a mask while on campus.

We look forward to seeing you at our Exhibition Nights!

Posted in 09 Grade, 10 Grade, 11 Grade, 12 Grade

Announcements from the Real World Learning Director

Posted on by

Crissel Rodriguez – crodriguez@davincischools.org

Hello Da Vinci Scholars and Families,

Many scholars have started applying to the summer opportunities which is exciting! Please note that scholars can receive 5 academic credits for completing 60 hours of service throughout the summer. Once you receive confirmation that the business/organization is willing to host you as an intern or a volunteer, please email me so I can send you the required forms.

  • The Knowledge House Coding Fellowship information session is today, Tuesday, April 5th at 6 pm. Please email me to register or to request the link to tonight’s recording.
  • The Boeing application is still open for students who attended the mandatory information session in March. Please email me to get your application started!
  • The Hawthorne Police Department is offering the opportunity to intern with their Community Affairs and Forensics Department. The opportunities are listed under the ‘Law’ and ‘Health Sciences’ sections.
  • The Rooted Friends Project is a non-profit organization in Hawthorne and they are seeking volunteers for Saturday, April 9 to shoot a Public Service Announcement. Volunteers will be featured in videos, and photos, and may be asked to model and act. Parent permission is required for scholars under the age of 18. Please contact Celeste (323) 427-9575.

My email is crodriguez@davincischools.org

Posted in 10 Grade, 11 Grade, Real World Learning

Exhibition Week & A Message From Matt

Posted on by

Good Afternoon Designers and Design Families,

Thank you to everyone, including our students, staff leaders and families, who made the CARnival event such a great success last week! Can’t wait to do it again next year.

Next week, Exhibition week is finally here! All families and community guests are welcome to come see all of the amazing work that students have been doing. DVD Exhibition night is from 5:30pm-7:00pm on Wednesday 4/6 for grades 11 & 12, and Thursday 4/7 for grades 9 & 10.

Lastly, here is an important message from our Da Vinci Schools CEO & Superintendent, Dr. Matt Wunder:

Dear Design Families, Students, and Staff,

Here is a video message regarding the incident that took place at the Design Black History assembly on March 4.

Families, if you are interested in joining the Family Equity Council, please email Dr. Allegra Johnson, Executive Director of Educational Services, at ajohnson@davincischools.org.

The council will meet twice a semester and share insights and recommendations around curriculum, creating inclusive school cultures, and supportive programming for students.

Thank you for your time, your honesty, and your commitment to the well-being and growth of the Da Vinci community.

Gratefully,

Matt

Key Dates & Upcoming Events at Da Vinci Design:

  • DVD Exhibition Nights:
    • Wednesday, April 6th (for Grades 11 & 12)
    • Thursday, April 7th (for Grades 9 & 10)
  • Friday, April 8th: NO CLASSES (Staff Development)
  • Monday, April 11th – Friday, April 15th: NO CLASSES (Spring Break)
Posted in 09 Grade, 10 Grade, 11 Grade, 12 Grade

Paul Revere Williams Day at Los Angeles Trade Tech College

Posted on by

The Architecture for Communities of Los Angeles (ACLA) is hosting Paul Revere Williams Day at the Los Angeles Trade-Tech College on Saturday, April 2nd from 9 am to 5 pm.

The Paul Revere Williams Day celebrates inclusivity in design-related professions by providing a wide range of activities and modes of engagement between students, educators, and professionals to share information, resources, and excitement for design!

This free event is open to the public– RSVP today to make connections, try great food, and have fun learning more about design professions!

Activities will include:

  • Mentoring Sessions: Speak with college students, professionals, and teachers about pursuing a career in architecture, engineering, and construction-related fields.
  • Mock interviews: Sign up to practice your interview skills!
  • Portfolio Reviews: Present your work to professionals/teachers to get feedback!
  • Site Tours: Visit open houses at schools/companies, or construction site tours of buildings!

To RSVP, students/families can use this link.

Posted in 09 Grade, 10 Grade, 11 Grade, 12 Grade, Real World Learning

RIOS Design Firm – Job Shadow Event and Internships

Posted on by

Attention Design Scholars:

RIOS Design Firm is hosting a job shadow day on Friday, April 15th from 1 to 4 pm at their office in Downtown Los Angeles. Four lucky students will be able to meet the RIOS staff and spend time at their company.

To apply, you must respond to the following questions by Friday, April 1st at 4 pm. You can send your responses to Crissel Rodriguez at crodriguez@davincischools.org.

  1. Which profession, offered at RIOS, are you most interested in? Please see this list and pick at least two.
  2. What interests you most about these professions?
  3. What grade level are you currently in, and have you taken any courses related to this career?

RIOS is also offering internships this summer! To view these internship opportunities, please click here.

Posted in 11 Grade, Grade 12, Real World Learning

Karim Kharbouch Coding Fellowship Program Information Session

Posted on by

coding fellowship

The Knowledge House is seeking high school youth interested in learning code and design skills! The Karim Kharbouch Coding Fellowship (KKCF) is cofounded by Hip Hop Artist French Montana and supports youth interested in STEM. The fellowship is a 12-month program, starting with paid, virtual summer training, followed by monthly career & college access workshops and coaching. Graduates are matched to summer internships and college STEM programs. You must be 16 years old to apply.

The Knowledge House is also seeking candidates for the 2021 Innovation Fellowship, a 12-month program starting in the fall to promote technology-based opportunities in web development, data science, cyber security, and usability design. To be eligible you must earn less than $50,000 a year and possess a high school diploma.

If you are interested in either of these opportunities, you can attend our information session on Tuesday, April 5 at 6:00 pm. To register, please email Crissel Rodriguez at crodriguez@davincischools.org

Posted in 10 Grade, 11 Grade, 12 Grade, Real World Learning

Week 29 & 30 Preview: Exhibition is Coming!

Posted on by

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

Tomorrow is the big “CARnival” event here at Da Vinci – hope you can join us!

In two weeks, we’re excited to be bringing back our Exhibition Night tradition! DVD Exhibition night is from 5:30pm-7:00pm on Wednesday 4/6 for grades 11 & 12, and Thursday 4/7 for grades 9 & 10. We look forward to welcoming you to campus and giving you an opportunity to see what our students have been doing and learning this year! See the bell schedule for the next two weeks, leading up to Exhibition, here:

This semester, our Exhibition Nights will be “open-house” style, and masks will be required of all participants as these are large indoor events with students, families, staff and community stakeholders present. Please see this email for the comprehensive update on masking.

Finally, we are thrilled to be able to bring back the spirit of the “Overnighter” tradition this year with “Camp Retreats” for our 9th and 10th grade students! These will be full-day (but not overnight) retreats at Camp Pondo, with students leaving the Da Vinci campus at 9am and returning at 9pm. The DVD Camp Retreat days are:

  • Friday, April 22nd for 10th graders
  • Wednesday, May 19th for 9th graders

The retreats will include a wide variety events including team-building, meaningful dialogue, and recreational activities including a zipline, skate park, climbing wall, and more! Details of the retreats will be coming soon, but for now you can mark the dates in your calendar if you have a 9th or 10th grade student!

Key Dates & Upcoming Events

  • DVD Exhibition Nights:
    • Wednesday, April 6th (for Grades 11 & 12)
    • Thursday, April 7th (for Grades 9 & 10)
  • Friday, April 8th: NO CLASSES (Staff Development)
  • Monday, April 11th – Friday, April 15th: NO CLASSES (Spring Break)
Posted in 09 Grade, 10 Grade, 11 Grade, 12 Grade
« Older Entries Recent Entries »