Taping lecture posters to the shuttle stop of Lawrence Berkeley Lab, senior Mark Tingwald describes his aspirations of being an engineer. He has high hopes for college, but tries to keep things in perspective as he had grades in the past that were not strong enough to get him into the school of his choice.
EDSET changed this.
Through the academy, he achieved his best academic year as a junior, excelling on AP tests and connecting with teachers and peers alike, while also interning at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
“EDSET has allowed me to pursue an academic career that is unique and more suited towards the way I learn,” Tingwald commented.
He enjoys being a part of the scientific community at the lab, where he researches efficiency and appliances and helps design the Carbon 2.0 (Cycle) website.
EDSET internships provide the opportunity to participate weekly in a work community that benefits the environment. The intention of the internships is to give real-world experiences: exposure to soft skills, which will increase motivation and give an extra interest in EDSET classes and the material within them.
EDSET teachers emphasize the importance of soft skills that internships develop. Corinne Berletti—EDSET history teacher—said that such skills give students real-world contexts. “Internships provide executive functioning skills; a greater ability to get things done.”
Darren McNally—head of the EDSET academy and AP Environmental Science teacher—notes that these goals are effective in the classroom and in the work environment. “Students are better at providing examples in class because of their internships. They are also better at communicating because of this experience in the workplace.”
Jessica Park—EDSET English teacher—elaborated on the academic benefits internships bring. She believes that students can bring in experiences to the classroom that connect with the curriculum, making ideas less theoretical. Park has also observed that internships make students more mature.
“Students who have internships tend to mature faster, and be able to monitor their behavior and learning, which make for a productive classroom environment,” Park said.
Berletti agrees, chiming in that students have enhanced ownership in learning goals and become independent learners.
Berletti and the other EDSET teachers capitalize on this enhanced ownership by conducting many in-class discussions and Socratic seminars. Students feel more comfortable to speaking out during class and are not afraid to ask questions.
“It is nice being in a class where I feel like I can share my opinion without being judged,” commented Laney Ennis, EDSET senior.
Park credits the internships for this in-class respect.
Stuart Adams, EDSET senior, also notices the atmosphere that EDSET brings, saying that “being in a class full of the same smart, motivated people for a day, twice a week has made me pretty fond of them.”
On Adams’ day away from the EDSET family, he interns at the district office of Albany’s state assembly member, Nancy Skinner. His primary responsibility is to write letters to constituents, whether it concerns legislation that is up for consideration in the State Senate or Assembly, an idea for new legislation, an opinion on the budget, or any subject within the state government.
Adams is surrounded by authoritative figures, all being older, and therefore has to act accordingly. Adams is known in class for the confidence of his opinions, and the ability to politely prove the opposing viewpoint wrong.
Last year, Adams helped out in the UC Berkeley Forest and Mycology and Pathology Lab studying Phytopthora ramorum, the organism that causes sudden Oak death. His work there made him a strong student in AP Environmental Science, a required EDSET course, as well as allowed his class work studies to be brought back to his internship.
Adams’ motive for his UC Berkeley work was to test whether he wanted to become a scientist or not, and EDSET allowed him to find out that he did not.
“I now know that I want to be a politician, so I’m taking concrete steps that advance towards that dream. That’s what I think is the real benefit of internship-based learning. It doesn’t teach so much about subjects that can be tested, but allows students to really learn about themselves and what they want to study and do with their lives in the future, “ Adams said.
The school board has noted the success of the EDSET program. “I am delighted with the success of the academy,” Principal Ted Barone commented, “But, I do not see the addition of academies in the foreseeable future.” He empathizes with the extra strain it puts on teachers to organize them and commends the motivation of the teachers and students in the existing academies.
Barone does say that there is potential for a ‘pathway’ option at Albany High. This would consist of a selection of classes already offered and a series of clubs/outside community service to conform some sort of recognition at the end of one’s four years. The hope would be that this pathway idea would constitute the same effects of the EDSET internship, without the commitment. “As long as we have a group of teachers and students willing, I could see this pathway option happening as early as next year,” Barone noted.
But for the time being, Tingwald continues to tape posters to the shuttle stop. He says that this is probably the worst part of his job, but the research he is a part of at the lab compensates for it. He plans on interning here next semester as well as maintaining his stellar GPA. As he steps on to the biodiesel shuttle, he thanks EDSET for allowing him a place to find his true academic potential and career dreams. He then boards the bus, and rides down the hill, off to fulfill another day’s adventures.
