Woody Barker, one of our volunteers, a man with an incredible huge heart, helping the underprivileged kids of George Hays-Jennie Porter Elementary to learn technology, coding, 3D-Printing, Robotics, and typing, is now gone! 
(see the obituary here)
He was such a wonderful person and he'll be missed tremendously by the kids and by everybody who knew him. The kids will be heartbroken!
To honor his memory, together with his family, we'll be establishing a special WOODY BARKER SCHOLARSHIP.
You can donate to the scholarship via GoFundme: https://www.gofundme.com/6m1by0g
To support more STEM education, the CAA Head Start is starting a Robotics/Computer Program at Ted Berry Head Start in West End.
We had a great Kickoff with representatives of Southwest Ohio Region Workforce Investment Board and REDI Cincinnati stressing the importance of growing local talent in order to attract companies to our region. We also had Prof. Austin Lee from Northern Kentucky University demonstrating a humanoid robot.
This new CAA Head Start program is a significant part of building a "West End High-Tech Education Hub" by Code for Kids in collaboration with Cincinnati Public Schools, which has two schools in West End: the George Hays-Jennie Porter Elementary (Ohio's first High-Tech Elementary) and Robert A. Taft Information Technology High School.
Students from Hays-Porter did a demonstration of computer coding and they did a fabulous job!
On Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, Hays-Porter High-Tech Elementary School hosted a local Kickoff to "Hour of Code". Similar kick-offs were done all over the world as part of the "Computer Science Education Week" (https://hourofcode.com/us)
The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries. Anyone, anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event. One-hour tutorials are available in over 45 languages. No experience needed. Ages 4 to 104.
The event at Hays-Porter was a great event thanks to the support from all our friends, especially:
The NAO humanoid robot was definitely a hit of the evening - kids just loved it!!! :)
Meeting the legendary NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly!
I took four girls from the George Hays-Jennie Porter ElementaryComputer/Robotics Club with me - hopefully they will get inspired and will keep reaching for the stars! 
Thank you Cincinnati Museum Center for organizing this event!!!!
http://www.cincymuseum.org/content/insights-lecture-series
More pictures on Facebook...
Opening of the new Headquarters of Messer Construction Co. in West End!
A big THANK YOU to Messer Construction for the generous grant of $25,000 to Families Forward for the after-school program at George Hays-Jennie Porter Elementary!!!!
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Cincinnati Mini Maker Faire is a celebration of creativity and invention. Makers showcase what they make, inspiring others with their passion and teaching the skills necessary for invention. From robots and microprocessors to experimental music and jewelry, any and every act of making is on display. Cincinnati Mini Maker Faire is independently organized and operated under license from Maker Media, Inc.
Hays-Porter Computer/Robotics Club was represented there too, with our students showing robots...
Visiting GorillaMaker (https://gorillamaker.com/) and learning more about 3D printing and how we can get more of this technology to schools.
Glenn Warner is a super awesome and extremely smart guy, and we're totally on the same wave length, so it was a great conversation about innovation, education, 3D Printing, and the future of our region. I'm looking forward to collaborate on some of the ideas we've discussed today!
Definitely an awesome way to start a day!
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UC School of Information Technology has signed an agreement with CPS to enable high school students to take credit classes at UC toward Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.
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Sasha Ariel shared with Hays-Porter students her coding journey, inspiring them to explore the world of technology! Students received a copy of her book, and hopefully we'll have an explosion of young coders at George Hays-Jennie Porter Elementary
You can buy the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0714JH3QR
More info about Sasha and her book: https://goo.gl/gIQrxf
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Our article about "Building divers IT Education Pipeline" has been published on Medium STEAM! 
So much fun today supporting the Bond Hill Academy Elementary School becoming the "Math & Science Discovery School" as part of the CPS Vision 20/20!
I was helping out in June with their Summer Enrichment Program teaching coding and robotics as part of Families Forward!
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Today I was supporting FamiliesFORWARD in their presentation at Messer Construction HQ, as part of an application for a grant.
It was about the After-School program at George Hays-Jennie Porter Elementary and our focus on technology.
We had three students with us and they did a fantastic job talking about what they've learned in the program, and how much fun they are having building robots!
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Bond Hill Academy Elementary School students are doing fantastic job learning coding! It was only our 2nd session, and almost all of them achieved a certification!
Also very impressive teamwork - all of those who finished first, went on to help other students!
This program is organized by Families Forward (https://www.familiesforward.net/)
More pictures are on Facebook
As end of the year celebration, FamiliesFORWARD hosted the annual "Musical Arts Concert", with students from four school performing on stage:
More pictures are on Facebook
Fantastic Career Fair at Hays-Porter Elementary School, with many organizations and companies presenting different jobs opportunities for the kids.
As a special guest, we had Rob Richardson, former Chair of the UC Board of Trustees, who talked to kids about college opportunities at UC.
More pictures are on Facebook
Hays-Porter High-Tech Elementary School organized a Tech-Show, where students presented what they have learned this semester, incl. Minecraft coding, robotics, video production, etc.
More pictures are on Facebook
A big Thank You to Mr. Mike Welch for sharing his Racing Drone expertise with the Hays-Porter Computer/Robotics Club students!
They had a blast!
More pictures are on Facebook
Yesterday LOCAL 12, WKRC-TV has visited us to learn more about our program at Hays-Porter Elementary School, the Robots and the Drones!
It was awesome and the kids loved it! 
To see the TV program click here
#IamCPS #CPSandME #education #cincinnati #technology #hayshightech
Members of the Hays-Porter Robotics & Computer Club went on Sunday to see the incredible Cincinnati Ballet's show: "King Arthur's Camelot"
It's part of adding the "Arts" to STEM and making it STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).
The Cincinnati Ballet dancers did an amazing job, and the kids loved the show and are now total fans of Cincinnati Ballet, which is also located in West End!
You can see more pictures on Facebook:
I'm extremely honored and humbled that I've been selected as one of the finalists of the 2017 Duke Energy Children's Museum Difference Makers!
http://www.cincymuseum.org/difference-makers
Of course, it could never happen without all the help and support from many people:
a) I am so thankful for all the work done by CPS Leadership on Vision 2020, the Hays-Porter Principal Ms. McClain, who was a believer from the very beginning, all the Hays-Porter teachers and volunteers, and the West End Community Council that allowed us to get here, and especially to my dear friends from FamiliesFORWARD: Ms. Allsop, Ms. Richardson, and Ms. Matchett - you all ROCK!!!!
b) A big "Thank You" to Taft IT High School, especially to Mr. Turner for letting us in, to Ms. Keenon for helping us with the first ever "Code.org Teacher training", Mr. Woodly for letting us use the Robotics, and especially Ms. Beamon, for being so patient and supportive of all my ideas! :)
c) the leadership and staff of the UC School of Information Technology: Dr. Said and Ms. Michael
d) And most of all, a huge "Thank you" to all friends at Cincinnati Bell incl. Mr. Smith, for their continuous support, and especially to the former CEO, Mr. Jack Cassidy, for inspiring me to this idea, by taking my Leadership Cincinnati Class 34 for a tour of Taft IT High School back in 2011, and showing us that if you dream big, everything is possible!
Also, I am so very proud of all the students participating in our Computer/Robotics Club in both schools - they are just fantastic!
