PENCIL kicked off the first two Discover MNPS events of the 2018 – 2019 school year. Guests received a true behind-the-scenes tour of Maplewood High School on November 2 and Hunters Lane High School on November 8. Both events highlighted the transformational work happening within the schools, and gave the guests the opportunity to meet students, tour the school and hear from successful PENCIL Partners during the PENCIL Panel.
At Maplewood High School, the event was launched with a welcome and academy overview by Maplewood’s Executive Principal, Dr. Keely S. Jones-Mason, and Academy Coach, Mr. Brent Dean. Following the overview, the guests were divided into groups and led on tours by student ambassadors. The ambassadors provided an exclusive tour of the unique learning opportunities and hands-on career experiences in the three academies. In the Academy of Entrepreneurship and Innovation guests visited a complete automotive care center in partnership with Bridgestone Firestone and they experienced a fully functional salon; the Academy of Energy and Power tour included a visit to the newly completed outdoor classroom built in cooperation with NES and Stansell Electric; and in the Academy of Sports Medicine and Wellness, guests toured Maplewood’s very own Saint Thomas Health Clinic. The morning wrapped up with our PENCIL Partner Panel featuring; Dana Morrow, a PENCIL Partner representative from Stansell Electric Company, Inc. and Matthias Che, a Maplewood student. The panelist shared insight into their experiences, providing the guests with a wholistic view of what Partnerships mean to schools and students.
Hunters Lane High School started with a brief introduction and school overview from Hunters Lane Executive Principal, Dr. Susan Kessler, and Academy Coach, Mr. Ethan Hansen. Guests received a tour led by student ambassadors, giving them an inside-look at student experience and PENCIL partner engagement in the six Academies. Hunters Lane Academies include: Academy of Health and Human Services; Academy of Hospitality; Academy of International Baccalaureate; Academy of Marketing and Business; Academy of Design and Technology and Freshman Academy. Academy coach, Mr. Ethan Hansen; a PENCIL Partner from Music City Center, Ms. Erin Hampton; and two student ambassadors, Melisa Lara Gomez and Leslie Garcia, closed out the event with a panel discussion. Each panelist answered questions based on their specific involvement and first-hand experiences. Guests left with a new understanding of the impactful work taking place in Metro Nashville Public Schools
After two successful fall Discover MNPS events, PENCIL is excited for our next events in the spring. Discover MNPS at Whitsitt Elementary School will take place on February 19, 2019 and Discover MNPS at Croft Middle School on March 19, 2019. More details about these tours coming soon!
