Hi Guest,
We got a call recently from one of our district partners. She was in tears and we were in tears. She said she couldn’t thank us enough and we didn’t quite understand why. Why? We have a virtual internship program that invites students from around the world to join our team for the summer, a semester, a year, or anything in between. Several students from her district applied and were accepted to intern with us this summer. She shared how much the opportunity meant to these students. How much the students needed and wanted an experience, but didn’t have the ability to go somewhere on-site. She shared how much the families needed the support and stipend that came with the internship (this particular district had funds to pay interns). She reminded us of how critical a role we can play in a student’s life, even when we rarely know it or understand it from behind the scenes.
Thank you for the reminder, dear friend. The reminder to keep doing everything we can to support every student and teacher that crosses our path. The reminder that what we do matters. The reminder that, together, we can have an amazing impact on our students’ lives. Thank you for those tears. As you unplug and unwind this summer, remember that YOU are that shining light for your students, too.
– Alefiya Master
Would it even be summer if camps didn’t exist? This year, we’ve been busy at MAD-learn facilitating multiple app camps, most recently in Texas (Lufkin and Cold Springs GEAR UP programs, respectively – don’t let the name fool you. There was nothing cold about the Texas heat). Our students cranked up the temperature even more with some apps that are on fire – several of which are ready to be published after a mere 4-days of diligent work. We had so much fun hearing their ideas, engaging in activities and lessons centered around app development and the design thinking process and listening to their presentations. Check out some of their work below:
We launched a new platform earlier this year and now we have a beautiful new MAD-store website to showcase the talent of our appreneurs. Don’t worry, if your students created apps that were previously published, they are still available for all to interact with and enjoy – they just have a fancy new home. Our new MAD-store features several upgrades. See below for a few highlights:
Teachers, don’t forget that YOU have to approve student app publishing requests before we can publish them on our end.
As we kick off the 2023-2024 school year, please be advised that teachers, students, and stakeholders will no longer be able to build and create apps on our legacy platform and will only have access to The New MAD-learn. If you would like training on our new platform, please click here to schedule a virtual meeting with our Customer Success department.
We will be at the annual NCCEP/GEAR UP conference in San Francisco July 16-19. This year’s theme is The Power of Possibility, aimed at focusing on a challenging time in education and how to be brave, bold and creative in the face of adversity. For more information, click here. Come visit us at the booth to say hello and pick up some swag and, of course, join us at one of these sessions:
- STEM Toolkit SnAPPshot
- Virtual APPrenticeships
If you are in the Metro Atlanta area, please stop by our booth and say hi at the DeKalb Tech Symposium July 18-19 at Ronald E. McNair Middle School in Decatur, Georgia. Educators and innovators from multiple EdTech companies will present strategies on how to use technology to transform teaching and learning. For more information, click here. Don’t miss these great sessions:
- Don’t Worry, Be APPy!
- Techpreneur Takeoff
- Aaliyah: Barber Middle School, GA
- Abby: Barber Middle School, GA
- Buchi: Barber Middle School
- Darius: Wimer-Hutchins High School, TX
- Heidy: Wimer-Hutchins High School, TX
- Sam: Midtown High School, GA
- Ana: Barber Middle School, GA
- Edwin: Lithia Springs High School, GA
- Syeda: Barber Middle School, GA
- Rhea: Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, GA
- Jalen: Barber Middle School, GA
- Casper: Strath Haven High School, PA
- Alix: Barber Middle School, GA
- Devyn: Skyline High School, TX
We want to thank schools that have either renewed their partnerships with MAD-learn or are just joining our MAD-family. We are so happy to know we will be continuing our work to help students at:
- North Dakota CDE
- Colonial MS
- Rising Starr MS
- Hudson Falls CSD
- Island Trees MS
- South Ocean MS
Checking out these #ISTELive highlights! It was amazing to see so many of you. Thank you for the fun times, the memories, and the inspiration to help us enter a new school year with a BANG!
