The Need

 California schools rank 45th in mathematics and 2nd from the bottom in science. Currently, 3 of every 10 high school students are not meeting requirements for graduation.  These deficiencies are amplified in underserved, minority communities. This is completely unacceptable in a state that has the 8th greatest economy on the planet. How can we expect our society to maintain it's position as a global leader in innovation and technology if we are not able to provide basic educational services for our children?

While these facts are undeniable, the problems continue and our children are paying the price. However, we do have choices; we can continue on our current course while lobbying our representatives to affect change or, we can look to alternatives within the community to help alleviate the the crisis within our educational system.

The shameful state of our educational system is the inspiration behind our innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program; the Reality Capture Technology Training Center at History Park. A collaborative endeavor of local nonprofits, small business and education, our programs are designed to give students hands on experience with technology while challenging them to excel in fields that benefit our society. 

Our programs offer reality capture training, both laser scanning and photogrammetry, for students in a team atmosphere. We use these cutting edge geospatial technologies to teach engineering techniques and help students develop skills that are in demand in various fields and disciplines. Architecture, construction, design, engineering, 3D gaming, urban planning, surveying and mapping are just a few of the applications this technology is currently used for. While these technologies are critical to the evolution of several career paths, there are few opportunities for students to learn and apply them.

We have received tremendous in-kind support from numerous community partners. Autodesk has been instrumental in providing software and the training support necessary to establish our programs. We've also received critical technical support from FARO Technologies as we develop our curriculum and structure our training program. Partnerships with History San Jose, Santa Clara County Office of Education, JFK University and Evergreen Valley College are key components and essential to our community outreach and recruitment efforts. 

In spite of the support we've received thus far, we continue to work to provide the foundation for the growth and sustainability of our training program. We are currently working to establish a computer laboratory for students to process data and learn to apply the state of the art software to their projects. As students digitally document the structures and artifacts, their ability to create exhibits and archive the data is limited by the lack of a dedicated computer system.

While we have been actively seeking grants to fund our program, we must also look to alternative sources to increase the our chances of establishing the critical resource for our students and our community. This fall we will focus our efforts on developing a prototype for online exhibitions. We've identified several possible historic buildings for our prototype model: the Diridon Transit Station, the SJ Museum of Modern Art (Original SJ Post Office and Clock Tower) or the First AME Zion Church in San Jose.

Fortunately, we are in a unique position to positively impact the problems plaguing our schools. 
 Our advisory board currently consists of educators, architects, service providers and parents. We would welcome your participation and assistance in creating a sustainable program in support of the next generation of engineers and innovators.