DCTE 730/830, Online Learning Environments (OLEs)

PROPOSAL FOR A CYBERSCHOOL: Refuge_Earth:Academy

(This Work Remains "In-Progress")
by Leanne C. Boyd

http://www.refuge-earth.org
artwork by Leanne Carson Boyd  © 1984 - 1999

Life-changing options
Refuge_Earth Academy (RE:Academy), an online learning environment — a cyberschool — will provide life changing options for young women seeking to enter career areas in math, science and technology. 

Our purpose
The purpose of RE:Academy will be to work with young women who, by nature of our culture, have been convinced by family, mentors, peers, and even the Media, that they "cannot achieve" in the areas of math, science, computer technology, and other technologies. The main mission of this new cyberschool will be to provide methods and resources for reversing that gender-biased message. 

RE:Academy recognizes that no one can change social structures without changing the self — and the community around self — and vice versa. (Steinem, G. 1992). The cyberschool contains within its design, suggestions and techniques by which learners are enabled in their inquiry into higher math, science and technology in a personal and social manner - as well as the academic and professional. The learning environment has been created to invite students to inspect their gendered conceptions about traditional science, math or technology curricula. In developing their own histories and portfolios, RE:Academy holds a strong goal of encouraging young people to think critically about the cyberschool's - and their own — roles of recording and describing their stories. This becomes part of the bonding and commitment to the community. The learner learns to become an expert in the culture of the content, in dissembling and reassembling the meanings, and making layers of the interpretations of events, as their experiences become richer. Encouraging learners to layer their knowledge and view events from various perspectives is, perhaps, the most important offering of the RE:Academy approach, in bringing together mentors, professionals, and other societal segments, in the learning process. 

Our structure
The proposal describes the target population of the RE:Academy, within the local area of Denver, Colorado. The initial establishment of the cyberschool will be within existing programs of Denver Public Schools, which are designed to reach certain "at-risk" populations in the school district. These "at-risk" targeted groups are especially sensitive to the offerings of a cyberschool such as this, as they will be allowed to re-discover and re-learn wrong messages that have heavily influenced prior academic choices. This proposal provides resources, opportunities for mentoring, partnership, or internship, and coursework to supplement the central courses of study at the late high school or early college levels, or, grades 11 through 14. The offerings of the cyberschool will provide this segment of students with a pathway that will allow them to recapture an enjoyment of learning. At the same time, these young women will learn to improve their level of productivity, as well as elevating their feelings of self-worth and capability in more difficult subject areas.

RE:Academy is designed to supplement the curriculum for girls in late high school (11^th and 12^th grades, primarily college- or technical school-bound), as well as for postsecondary, undergraduate women who are making academic choices for career paths in these topic areas. The supplemental coursework for the first phases of this research and implementation of the school, will be in math, science, and technology. By nature of the "partner" schools (both high school and college), other subject areas are currently available, and may be added by the student as needs demand.

One distinct benefit of the RE:Academy structure, which we see as a constructionist digital environment, the environment becomes an integration of media, text, teacher, content, and learner. This then becomes a mirror of the very media used — one contiguous and overlapping web. In this way, the Academy helps young people to knit together the bits and pieces of their experiences and the experiences of others, into meaningful aggregates unique to them and the communities they represent. They become partners in layering their personalized understanding and descriptions of events, as juxtaposed — or enhancing — previously constructed interpretations. They also gain a larger view, in seeing their contributions to the interpretations that are being created by the general community of inquiry. It is the strongest belief of RE:Academy that one of the most important aspects to consider in revealing possibility of overcoming gender, as well as other biases, in the mathematical and science communities, is to provide the learner with the sense of being a part of the greater community. One of the successes of our approach is that new technologies propose alternative ways for the learner to explore topics that are not bound by conventions designed for a paper-based classroom headed by a solitary teacher. By breaking out of these conventions, one of the first benefits to the student is that of a sense of freedom, a breaking of bonds that have held them "in their place," in the learning ladder.

Our standards
The initial partnership with Denver Public Schools will be an implementation of standards developed and initiated in June, 1996. At that time, the Denver Public Schools Content Standards for Reading and Writing, Mathematics, Science, History, and Geography were approved by the Board of Education. This was an important milestone in Denver's efforts to identify "Standards for Success," or — what every student should know and be able to do. RE:Academy's structure has initially been developed to augment programs that adhere to the "Standards for Success" guidelines. On-campus RE:Academy Work Stations will be housed in high school counseling centers, media centers, and computer labs. Several of the schools offer a very specific school-to-work or vocational/technical atmosphere, and are especially receptive to the additional offerings of this cyberschool.

The second academic partnership will be with area community colleges in Denver. The Academy Work Stations will be housed in career counseling centers, "Writing" centers, and computer labs. The focus of the coursework at the college level will be less on helping young women in the specific subjects to "come up to speed," but more on offering students a setting for a higher level of work in these topics. This, then, will become a part of the general "counseling" that may and should lead to the choice of a college major, and a career, in math, science, technology, or related arenas.

Our service-learning approach
The third and probably most valuable partnerships will be in areas that have come to be known in traditional academic and corporate circles as "Service-Learning," and "Professional Mentorship." Refuge_Earth Academy is instituting a powerful system for providing services of these two areas to not just the students, but the communities of Denver. The cyberschool will work directly with the Service Learning Program at the University of Colorado/Denver. A branch of Creative Mentoring, initiated in Delaware, is planned for implementation in the cyberschool's first year of operation.

Our coursework
Actual coursework in RE:Academy will be offered by virtual "affiliations" with online learning environments (from high school to college or university level) which offer existing courses that have been well-developed in theory, pedagogy and design. These range from courses delivered via online high schools, colleges and universities, to courseware, tutorials, and other interactive learning settings that are freely available on the Internet. The class offerings of RE:Academy will be rich and diversified, and will range from introductory topics to higher level classes.

Our curriculum
RE:Academy was created from the premise that education is dealing with (at least) one primary question: "Should the curriculum change?" Our answer to this is, yes. New technology, if anything, has placed even more stress on young learners, in a quest for understanding math, science and technology. From observing studies on home schooling, for instance, a critical aspect of following through on a large project is being able to have the time to work for long periods on one topic. Until we address this "scheduling" problem we are caught in the circle of small tasks that cannot produce in-depth studies. The Academy proposes a setting where the learner is provided not just the environment for taking on unknown areas of study, but also one that DE-stresses a typical "time-framed" request for production. It also provides a framework for learning from the immediate knowledge of those in the professional and academic fields, with each student's personal mentor.

Our partnerships
The partnerships with local high schools and community colleges, and the on-campus setting of the RE:Academy Work Stations, will allow students to counsel with appropriate personnel, as per Partner/School agreement. Students will be able to register for classes of choice, and will be able to take the course either as an "audit" status, or for whatever level of credit is offered by the partnering school. This could be in the form of Continuing Education Credits (CEUs), certification credit or status, or for actual high school or college credit. RE:Academy, as well as the partnering learning institutions, will assist the student in applying the appropriate credits to a future certification or diploma. Records for all students will be kept by Refuge_Earth Academy, as well as in the student's own high school or college records. The usual records kept by governing institutions will also be available, per campus or school, for each course attempted by the student. All courses listed and offered by RE:Academy are directed toward filling a specific gap in the student's academic career. RE:Academy records of courses will be developed in a cooperative effort of student, professional mentor, and counselors, into a "portfolio" which will be presentable by the student to future schools and potential employers.

Our links to community
The purpose of this proposal is to show that the online environment has vastly changed the traditional concept of education, both by nature of "the classroom," as well as the usual concept that all paths to higher education must be lengthy and expensive. This proposal shows that Online Learning Environments can be excellent in content and delivery, as well as being very cost-effective. RE:Academy's structure will prove, over the proposed five years of startup, that the local "school" can again be a central hub in the community. It will provide a setting of equity, allowing young women opportunities to advance in "hard sciences." It will provide a strong link between high school and higher education, by providing literal bonds between the secondary school partners and the community colleges. It will prove the strength of the mentoring program, allowing seasoned professionals to be significant contributors in the career lives of young people.

Our vision
In the nature of the Internet since its inception — to provide abundant information at no cost — Refuge_Earth Academy wishes to present a new vision for young women and for all millennium learners. The Cyberschool will open new avenues for a stronger bonding within communities — starting with a knowledge base that is equitably available to all that wish to learn. RE:Academy will provide students, professional mentors and faculty with an efficient, comprehensive avenue to access educational materials via the Internet. So often, teachers and students must comb through an increasingly fragmented marketplace of educational choices in order to meet the needs of students with specialized needs, and deal with numerous suppliers to assemble the necessary supplemental course materials. This is especially true when the student's needs lie outside of a traditional program. RE:Academy promises a better way.

At the end of the projected five-year startup, RE:Academy will provide a single source of proven courses, tutorials, books, articles by academic and industry experts, cases, and value added learning aids. The Academy's Web site will, within the first year of operation, allow anyone to search for and purchase books and other educational materials via secure transaction interface. Students from participating high schools and colleges will be able to, for many of the courses offered through partner colleges, click on their classes to bring up a menu displaying syllabi, software and other learning aids, all required texts, book abstracts, price and availability. For the remaining offerings, the Web site will offer a central, searchable "library" of more generalized materials, available through a similar, secure interface.

RE:Academy's vision is to seamlessly integrate the new technologies available to students with a Web site that will be of such user-friendly interface that it will help the targeted group in overcoming all apprehension of the media of math, sciences and technology. Even for professional mentors, business partners, and our partner schools, this improved-usability interface will promote an ideal learning setting. To help accomplish this, RE:Academy has established academic and business contacts at 20 top colleges from whom the curricula and booklists are secured. All major textbook publishers have also been contacted and accounts are currently being established. Several selected case vendors have tentatively agreed to provide materials in digital format. Fulfillment, customer service, and billing logistics will be handled by these third party logistics providers. Without the added need for attending to these comprehensive business and financial necessities, our partnering businesses have provided the cyberschool with the ability to focus ONLY on the academic needs of students.

Our timeline
This proposal is for a project plan for the first five years of the life of a cyberschool. The proposal will explain the concept and basic architecture of the school, the implementation of crucial personnel and services in the first year, the focus on target population(s), and the projections (based on assessment and analysis of the first year) for the following four years. The goals of the RE:Academy team will be reflected in the project timeline, along with predictions and/or changes that will be made, based on initial evaluations. A detailed budget plan is offered.

Funding for Refuge_Earth Academy, for the initial year of startup, is expected to be $62,000.00 in grants already attained. The Budget proposal will show that $546,320.00 in donated goods and services have been secured. It will also show details, outlining a request for $1,137,051.89 for startup. The total startup funding, including donations, is $1,683,371.89. This amount is diminished by the commitment of grants of $62,000.00. It is expected that RE:Academy will continue its search for grant funding throughout the five-year startup period. Plans for utilizing forms of eCommerce are in place, in order that the cyberschool will become self-sufficient as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your review of this proposal. We gratefully accept evaluation, suggestions and constructive criticism. Please contact us at proposal@refuge-earth.org.
 

2.0. Introduction of the organization 

2.1. Defining Refuge_Earth Academy 

Who we are
The concept for the Refuge_Earth Academy rose out of many late-hour discussions between the co-creators of the cyberschool, along with many colleagues and peers in the education and IT industry fields. All of these friends are female. Many of us have participated in events and issues, over the years, which relate to gender bias in the workplace — and, unfortunately, in SCHOOL.

As with many factions around the world, a great concern to this highly skilled group has been the topic of providing better training to young women — to GIRLS — in the "hard core" areas of mathematics, the sciences, and now in the innumerable areas of technology. Each one of us recognizes the SEVERE need for a larger number of high-level female workers in these fields. Each one of us also recognizes that there is an accompanying need. This need is one for re-training the young female mind and spirit in areas of her own self-worth, her vision for herself, for her community, and for her future. All of our group agreed that this has been a long and hard road in the 70s through the 90s, with many "knocks to the head" as we each sought careers in traditionally NON-female arenas — in the hard arts, crafts and sciences of engineering, math, physics, and now, New Media. The list is endless.

The potential available to young women
However, each of us also realized that the POTENTIAL available to young women in these career areas, is tremendous. The right combination of courses will fill gaps that have been left in a girl's education. Along with support of mentors, advisors, and her own community, more young women will be able to dispel the messages from society that have left them believing that they cannot compete or succeed in math, science, and technology. The tools available, with OUR help, are many more than those that we had. RE:Academy's vision is to bring a new level of understanding in these areas — in the very media CREATED by — math, science and technology! The cyberschool will be rich, both in information technology, and its unprecedented ability to strengthen communications — and community.

Assertions
There are some assertions upon which Refuge_Earth Academy is based, which provide the best description of the cyberschool, and the breadth and scope of the services it will provide. 

1. We must ask critical, sometimes seemingly impossible, questions for the future of the nation's economy.
2. Economists say that an educated workforce is the key to economic growth and sustained prosperity.
3. We need the college-educated. These are the innovators and entrepreneurs — the gifted from every field — to expand the economy into new areas.
4. We need what the information age is demanding: a skilled and educated workforce to implement growth-producing innovations.
5. We recognize that, "according to a new report from the National Academy of Sciences, 'Even those who do not go into careers that require advanced education in science and engineering will need basic scientific and technological literacy to function as effective citizens.'"
   (Richter, J. 1999).
6. "Just 31 percent of American high school graduates have earned college degrees by age 29. For Hispanics and African Americans, the college graduation rate is just 17 and 18 percent respectively." (Richter, J. 1999).
7. "We must be prepared to create a daring and innovative curriculum in which spur-of-the-moment change is possible, and in which the teachable moment occurs frequently and is readily exploitable." (Whitesel, C. 1998).
8. "We must explore and develop the mechanisms by which humans can more effectively and enjoyably interact with technology." (Stage 3 Research Group, 1999).
9. "Teachers will have to think in vastly different ways about their subject matter if they are to create successful multimedia applications." (Beard, R., New imagination, 1998).
10. "Workplace projections are that technology will play an increasingly important role in the delivery of education, with 50% of students or more in the near future never entering a physical classroom." (Whitesel, C. 1998).
11. "We can no longer ignore multimedia learning tools because the Net Generation demands them." (Beard, R., New imagination, 1998).
12. "As computers and other technology become pervasive, the challenge of providing appropriate, effective, and pleasant interfaces to technology will require talents drawn from a wide variety of disciplines, including perceptual psychology and various design disciplines. By surrounding open-minded technologists/engineers with these influences, we can most effectively guide the design and development of future human-technology interfaces." (Stage 3 Research Group, 1999).
13. "No one yet has found the right way to use technology in teaching. In spite of this, you can teach a better course today by using technology appropriately. In a few years, it will be the only acceptable way to teach. Within five years, unenlightened colleges and universities — will be going out of business." (Stephenson, R. 1998).
14. "Just as the Internet has revolutionized business, the Internet can help lift the hopes of communities — by bringing ideas, people, and resources together in ways never thought possible." (Listwin, D. 1999).

(All emphases by author of this proposal.)

2.2. Core Concept #1: Creating a new model for "community"

Partnering, mentoring, nurturing, guidance and interaction
Refuge_Earth Academy is certainly not alone on the road leading to a technology-enabled undergraduate — or even high school — curriculum. Every cyberschool is "under construction." As with the entire academic world, we are not exactly sure where we will end up, but we recognize that a wide variety of people are interested in getting there. Partnerships for our cyberschool have been formed quickly, with members of the academic, corporate, and volunteer communities expressing great interest in joining our team. Such cooperation has leveraged a powerful jumpstart to our mission. The plan for stationing our cyberschool Work Stations in counseling centers, media centers, and computer labs across the city of Denver and then the state of Colorado, has given Refuge_Earth Academy "instant access" to already-established digital networks.

It has been pointed out that "many academic institutions are working on using the power of networked information technology to enhance the undergraduate curriculum. One feature common to many of these efforts is that they are collaborative efforts between campus units who have not traditionally worked closely together. These new alliances are creating new opportunities in sometimes surprising ways as differing groups learn to work together in creating new learning communities ... as we grope together towards the future. (Sreebny, O. 1996). We also believe that there is a wider calling demanded of higher education, which is that the education process involves not just the acquisition of skills and instrumental knowledge, but also — 'modeling, mentoring, nurturing, guidance and interaction.' (Tehranian, M. 1996, as cited by CURDS, 1997).

We believe the Mentoring and Service-Learning programs, designed into the architecture of the Academy, is its strongest offerings to students, who will gain tremendous insight into community building:

"In the traditional 'community of scholars' the student was mentored as an apprentice and eventually became a co-investigator in research and creative activity. Advocates of online education argue that this notion of academic community will be enhanced through the wonders of technology. In Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace, the authors present 'proven strategies' for academic community-building in an online environment. In principle it is possible to maintain and even extend such values as mentoring and co-investigation by means of telecommunications." (Palloff, R.M. and Pratt, K. 1999).

Our research led us even further into a commitment to the idea of "community" and "learning":

"The 'community of scholars' was central to the traditional concept of higher education. The thrust of online education advocacy is to broaden the concept of community in non-traditional ways, particularly through partnership with or even contracting out to the business community. Dancing with the Devil: Information Technology and the New Competition in Higher Education (Katz et al., 1999) is but one of many examples of the argument that in the world of online education to come, universities will be forced by sheer competition to transform themselves in radical ways which challenge the traditional community of scholarship." (Garson, G.D. 1999).

RE:Academy is based on the growing awareness that online education spells radical restructuring.

2.3. Core Concept #2: Communication!

Communication and designing the visible "brand" for RE:Academy
Careful consideration was taken in designing the visible BRAND or LOGO for RE:Academy. This branding element constitutes factors for visibility and customer recognition for the school name. It is "instant communication." 

1. Defining "RE" — The major thrust of current global economics — and "education" is a part of that scene — is BRANDING. "RE "are the initials for Refuge Earth. Leaving the colon ":" next to the "RE" is a trademark tactic that strongly represents the world of digital technologies. It is primarily seen in Email — the very essence of today's method of communication.
2. Defining "Academy" — "Academy" was chosen over other terms as it has a more appealing tonality for the target population: young women seeking a "safer" habitat in which to accelerate skills in math and science. 
   

Communication is about concerns and commitments
RE:Academy is dedicated to actions toward beneficial communication. The cyberschool will carefully record student progress. These records will become part of the assessment and evaluation processes of the participating partner schools. Members of our cyberschool team, which includes all Partner members, are dedicated to improving teaching effectiveness through this student-centered approach to learning. From Denver Public Schools and the local community colleges, to our academic partners and our mentor groups — the primary focus is the sharing of information gathered in the process of teaching and learning. All findings of the evaluation process will then be shared with the teams, so that participating faculty and staff from all participating groups may explore the stages of the new environment, together. 

Our cyberschool courses will share common characteristics with others that are widely being developed - it will have a computer conferencing system, Email capabilities, bulletin board services, and the unlimited use of the World Wide Web. More importantly, however, Refuge_Earth Academy courses will be chosen for their design and ability to "test the strengths and limitations of the new learning networks in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment." (Leahy, M. 1996). This will reinforce our commitment to communication within a new model of "community." The premise of the RE:Academy mission is that communication is the foundation for forming relationships. The book, Beyond Calculation: The Next Fifty Years of Computing, by Denning and Metcalfe, offers an excellent description of our stance. The chapter, "The Leaders of the Future: Communication is About Concerns and Commitments," is written by Fernando Flores:

"When people communicate, they don't simply pass information back and forth. They get things done, sharing interpretations and making commitments that change the status of their work, their world, their future expectations and possibilities. In this information plays a role, but it is a secondary, supporting role. In the end, people aren't really interested simply in transmitting information to each other. They have concerns that prompt them to reach out and build relationships with others to take care of those concerns." (1997, p. 178).

Powerful enabling tools for young women
Utilizing the best that online education is currently producing, RE:Academy will add powerful enabling tools to their students' late secondary and early college "toolset." The competitive landscape within higher education has been altered. "Consumers of education have new motivations and expectations, technology is challenging medieval pedagogical methods ..." (Katz, R. and Associates, 1999, p. 55). RE:Academy's typical student probably will not be in that exact arena, where they would initiate such a challenge.

However, it is our belief that after working in the Academy's classes, these young women will not only attain a higher level of understanding of these subject areas, they will also achieve a new level of sophistication about the technologies. Our students will have "grown" their skills within a very specific incubator. They will have choices, as opposed to being swept along in a traditional system. They will be able to discern that virtual learning has enabled them to move away from an anachronistic system that has forced them to adopt a particular educational or institutional culture. They will have learned some steps for merging the best practices of the myriad cultures represented in RE:Academy classes, into their own lives. "Distance learning students come from diverse social backgrounds, live in different locations, and make the virtual trek to campus in the privacy of their own learning space using computer technology." (Whitesel, C. 1998). The aim of our cyberschool, for our young women students and their peers, is to experience the remaking of "community," and its place in the reshaping of "education."

2.4. Rationale for creating a "partnership" cyberschool

A conglomerate of existing learning institutions, Internet courses and tutorials
The paradigm is shifting rapidly in the educational setting, and on a global basis. The purpose of RE:Academy is to utilize the best of present educational choices, by partnering with existing learning institutions and offering carefully selected courses to the students of RE:Academy. Courses offered would be chosen for success in design and effective usability for primarily female students who seek supplementary coursework in Math, Science and Technology. "Many institutions are today developing their own versions of an instructional technology environment that may easily lead to confusion and disarray, as thousands of HTML files accumulate with little regard for institutional coherence, scalability, and long-term manageability." (Katz, R. and Associates 1999, Pp. 115-116). RE:Academy's position is that, by utilizing courses that are of proven value, with a low or absent incidence of confusion or ineffectiveness, the value to the RE:Academy student will be immediately apparent, both in cost and in learning value.

Many collegiate settings, both on-campus and online, are beginning to coordinate the various distance and distributed learning efforts that are taking place in different locations within each school. In Virginia Tech's Cyberschool of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, for example, "distance and distributed learning is a perfect example of carrying out the university's outreach mission. Appropriate and adequate support services [are] critical to the success of any distance learning effort and [are] part of the value-added component of an excellent program." (Doss, C. 1998). As an auxiliary program that will supplement a learner's traditional course of study, RE:Academy offers a unique opportunity for learners to benefit from such coordinating efforts as these, across many college and university virtual campuses.

One of RE:Academy's partnering virtual universities is Western Governors University. Their structure has been a model for the Academy, especially in determining methods for providing for individualized, student-centered solutions. The following list, provided by WGU, shows that their university will be:

• "Focused on developing markets for certified graduates and a wide variety of instructional materials;
• Not controlled by those who represent established interests with regard to either the delivery of education or its certification;
• Client-centered;
• Focused on needs of students and employers rather than instructional providers, e.g., flexible and responsive in instructional delivery rather than constrained by the fixed schedules and sequential structures typical of current educational delivery"
  (Beard, R. ...Need Universities? 1998). 
  

3.0. The Problem Statement: Identifying the target population, performing needs assessment

3.1. Phase 1: Partnering with an existing targeted population program

Denver Public Schools (DPS), Denver, Colorado
The philosophy and goals of RE:Academy were born in a state already immersed in addressing the needs of at-risk populations, and a desire to not just meet, but exceed usual standards in education. This excerpt from "The Denver Public Schools Curriculum Online" will show standards that have been adopted within Denver District, and give a glimpse into the appropriateness of the auxiliary program offered by RE:Academy:

"On June 3, 1993, Governor Romer signed into law HB 93-1313 requiring local districts to develop content standards and implement standards-based education. Content standards, which are clear, measurable statements of what students should know and be able to do, can have a significant effect in advancing the educational achievement of Colorado students. The following excerpt from HB 93-1313 describes its legislative intent:

The General Assembly hereby finds and declares that, because children can learn at higher levels than are currently required of them, it is the obligation of the General Assembly, the Department of Education, school districts, educators, and parents to provide children with schools that reflect high expectations and create conditions where these expectations can be met. Through a shared sense of accountability and a cooperative spirit among state government, school districts, educators, parents, business persons, and the community, (emphasis by proposal author) school districts and educators can develop and teach to high standards which will enable students to achieve the highest level of knowledge and skills.

The General Assembly further declares that this system of standards-based education will serve as an anchor for educational reform, with the focus of education including not just what teachers teach, but what students learn. In addition, standards-based education will advance equity, will promote assessment of student learning, and will reinforce accountability.

The General Assembly therefore charges school districts with the responsibility to develop content standards, programs of instruction, and assessments that reflect the highest possible expectations. The General Assembly further declares that the ultimate goal of this...is to ensure that Colorado's schools have standards which will enable today's students of all cultural backgrounds to compete in a world economy in the twenty-first century." (emphasis by proposal author).
(Denver Public Schools/Curriculum, 1999).

CCCOES (Colorado Community College & Occupational Education System,
Colorado statewide
Colorado's Community College and Occupational Education System serves over 238,000 students each year. The state's largest system of higher education, it is made up of 14 state system community colleges, with the additional responsibilities of district community colleges and area vocational schools. It also prepares students in career training, including vocational education programs in over 150 school districts. "The System's history is one of partnerships and innovative initiatives designed to build coalitions between business and industry, government and community leaders, and other educational institutions. Currently, the System is breaking new ground in the application of technology for education, and through The Education Foundation is developing a variety of opportunities for educational access for all Coloradans." (Colorado/Who We Are, 1999). The Colorado Vocational Act of 1970, CRS 23-8-101 was adopted by the Colorado General Assembly to provide assistance to local school districts operating vocational education programs approved by the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education. (Colorado/CCR 1504-2, 1999).

Identifying the target population utilizing parameters and assessments by DPS and by CCCOES (Colorado Community College & Occupational Education System
RE:Academy has two primary target populations:

• Students with gender equity issues, primarily females in grades 11-14, who are experiencing trouble in entering the fields of study in Math, Science and Technology
• Related, at-risk population "descriptors" may have bearing on the academic decisions made by these young women. These include a broad range of ethnic, social and economic factors

3.2. Phase 2: Setting up the professional mentoring & guidance system

Counseling partnerships
One of the basic tenets of this cyberschool is to accommodate the needs of female students in counseling in academic and career arenas. In fact, almost every aspect of the school's structure centers around successful counseling that will lead to the re-ordering of preconceived mind-sets adopted by young women. RE:Academy has a powerful base in the knowledge, skills and career history of one of the Project Co-Leaders, Mindy Machanic, Ph.D. Her experience in these issues may be found in her article:

• "Gender and Power Issues in On-Line Learning Environments" 
  

The Academy has established partnerships with counseling centers in Colorado schools. For many of the physical Work Stations, the counseling center of the school will be the "location" of RE:Academy. Each learner will work with a counselor within her/his own school, in developing a program of auxiliary study. This will be in conjunction with counseling and advice from appointed mentorships from the community. Our in-house counseling services, Dr. Mindy Machanic, will be available upon request.

For purposes of presentation in this proposal, we are providing several examples of the counseling services available to students who participate in the RE:Academy program:

Front Range Community College Counseling, Advising and Career Services "Front Range Community College is committed to helping you succeed. Our counseling, advising and career services are designed with your needs in mind because when you succeed, we succeed." (Front Range Community College, 1999).

Red Rocks Community College Advising for prospective students, new students and students who have not decided on a program of study is provided by Career Development Specialists and Academic Advisors who are located in the Advising/Career Resource Center. After completing the basic skills assessment in the Assessment Center, all students are encouraged to obtain advising. The following services are available: Assistance in selecting courses to alleviate academic deficiencies. Evaluation of courses for graduation. Help in adding and dropping courses. Information on course sequencing and prerequisites. Referral of students to faculty for assistance in choosing a major or program of study. Specific program planning for students who intend to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. A Transfer Guide is published annually. It includes an extensive listing of courses and transfer requirements to all four-year institutions in Colorado. Understanding the application of the Asset test results in the selection of basic skills courses and program planning. (Red Rocks Community College, 1999).

Emily Griffith Opportunity School Counseling, Advising, Job Placement and Testing Emily Griffith Opportunity School maintains free, full-time counseling, advising and job placement services. Experienced, qualified, vocational and special needs counselors provide guidance, counseling and assessment for interested students. Nominal fees are charged for administration of assessment tests. Fees vary according to length and costs of the tests. Job Placement Office provides employment information and referrals for students. Health Occupations, Barbering, Cosmetology, Technical, Trade and Industrial Special Needs and Disabled Students Advising for Social Service Clients Non-traditional Advisor (Emily Griffith Opportunity School, 1999).

Manual High School After Graduation, Colleges and Careers This web-based counseling center includes these topics: College Search Colorado Colleges and Training Career Search Career Assessment Career Guidance for Women (Manual High School, 1999).

Partnerships for professional mentoring
RE:Academy has created a relationship with Creative Mentoring, which supports in-school mentoring programs in 42 schools in New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties of Delaware. The success of this group led to our cyberschool's contact with their principals. Their group provides highest quality training to in-school mentors (volunteer program). They also help schools, in and out of Delaware, design and implement quality in-school mentoring programs. (Creative Mentoring, 1999). Their mentoring service was first put to use in helping RE:Academy staff, in setting up relationships with community businesses, with the goal of providing mentors in every possible career arena, in Denver.

Creative Mentoring has also provided guidelines for helping the Academy assess the results of a year of mentoring. At end of the school year when they gather feedback from teachers, mentors, and parents, much insight is gained in program success, as this becomes a highlighted, collaborative effort. We expect to participate in training seminars with Creative Mentoring until which time that we can become an equal resource for the state of Colorado, and begin to offer training in this valuable service.

Partnerships for Service Learning
Refuge_Earth:Academy will have two primary partners in learning about and implementing Service Learning relationships in Denver school communities. For the long-range goals of the Academy, we feel that these two partnerships will perhaps be the most valuable of all. It is a larger part of our mission, along with reaching young women with the message that they TOO can DO math and science, that these skills and academic pursuits will be the most meaningful when attained and used in one's own community.

Learn and Serve America supports service-learning programs in schools and community organizations that help nearly one million students from kindergarten through college meet community needs, while improving their academic skills and learning the habits of good citizenship. Learn and Serve grants are used to create new programs or replicate existing programs, as well as to provide training and development to staff, faculty, and volunteers. The Corporation for National Service funds state education agencies, state commissions on national and community service, nonprofit organizations, Indian tribes, and U.S. territories, which then select and fund local service-learning programs. Institutions of higher education and consortia are funded directly. All Learn and Serve America projects are required to match federal funds with resources from the community. (Learn & Serve America, 1999).

The Home of Service-Learning on the World-Wide Web Service-learning pedagogies are used by teachers in colleges and universities as well as in K-12 schools to enhance traditional modes of learning, actively engage students in their own education through experiential learning in course-relevant contexts, and foster lifelong connections between students, their communities, and the world outside the classroom. Service-learning means a method under which students learn and develop through thoughtfully-organized service that: is conducted in and meets the needs of a community and is coordinated with an institution of higher education, and with the community; helps foster civic responsibility; is integrated into and enhances the academic curriculum of the students enrolled; and includes structured time for students to reflect on the service experience. Service-learning experiences are reciprocally beneficial for both the community and students. For many community organizations, students augment service delivery, meet crucial human needs, and provide a basis for future citizen support. For students, community service is an opportunity to enrich and apply classroom knowledge; explore careers or majors; develop civic and cultural literacy; improve citizenship, develop occupational skills; enhance personal growth and self-image; establish job links; and foster a concern for social problems, which leads to a sense of social responsibility and commitment to public/human service.

(Crews, R., What is service learning? 1999).

3.3. Phase 3: Partnering with institutions offering on-target learning settings

Listing of schools and description of settings and services

• See section 4.2.1. — Denver Public Schools (DPS), Denver, Colorado
• See section 4.2.2. — CCCOES, the Colorado Community College & Occupational Education System, Denver Metropolitan area and statewide 
  

3.4. Phase 4: Identifying future partnerships and students

Years One through Five: Establishment and expansion
of RE:Academy, structure, policies, partnerships
At the end of the initial year of this research program and establishment of the cyberschool, we intend to hold a high-level symposium to disseminate our findings, and to relate the technological agenda to wider debates about the future of higher education, and where RE:Academy goals fit in with local projections. Funding for this will be sought independently.

Important new partnerships will be harvested. One such program is The Micron E-Mail Mentoring Program, whereupon "women in technical careers at Micron Technology, Inc. in Boise, Idaho met with science and math teachers to brainstorm how best to "connect" with — female students to the end that more of them might, in time, consider technical careers." (Micron technology, 1999). The email access to adult women in technical fields to encourage and mentor them, had great success — but in many unexpected areas, not all of which were math, science, and technology.

4.0. Project Objectives: the Goals of the Project

4.1. Objective 1: Initial setup of Refuge_Earth:Academy

4.1.1. Establishing our presence: Our locations

RE:Academy Headquarters and administrative offices
There are dual offices, home cities of Project Co-Leaders:

1. Denver, Colorado (Leanne C. Boyd)
2. Portland, Oregon (Mindy Machanic, Ph.D.)

The online RE:Academy
The Academy will be accessible in two primary formats:

1. Internet and World Wide Web
2. CBT, WBT, CD-ROM

The physical RE:Academy
The Academy will be represented as physical computer Work Stations:

1. RE:Academy will initially consist of 22 Work Stations in 22 school sites
2. Ten Denver County/District High Schools
3. Four Denver County/District Alternative Schools
4. Eight Colorado Community Colleges; the ones based in the greater Metro area
5. At the end of the first five years, it is our goal to have a minimum of ten available computers for each District; there are 64 Districts for a total of 640 computer stations
6. Logical expansion indicates the home state of Project Co-Leader, Mindy Machanic, Oregon, after the initial startup of five years in Colorado schools

4.1.2. Administrative requirements and assembling the essential administrative structure

Developing the non-profit organization
Our staff has performed much study and assembling of required paper-based and web-based tools. The non-profit agency will be set up under the rules for the State of Colorado:

• Colorado legal advice has been secured
• Utilization of resources for forming a non-profit organization
• Utilization of grant sources
• Participation in training, seminars, and conferences in grant writing
• Preparation of the formal Business Plan 
  

Administrative processes and planning, and office management tools
There is an ongoing, "living" list of objectives for administrative planning. Much of the flexibility needed in these plans is due to the constantly changing nature of the Internet and/or digital technologies that are the basis of RE:Academy's structure. Included herein is a current list of these objectives, subject to change as need requires:

• Develop the organizational structure of the physical office(s)
• Develop database for archiving of all company documentation
• Software requirements
• Hardware requirements
• Netware requirements
• Groupware requirements
• Intranet development, for use of staff only
• Hire necessary computer consultants for network setup
• Build the virtual (Web) environment
• Set up course catalog and payment system
• Choose and train on analysis and assessment tools
• Set up scheduling for tutoring and mentoring
• Set up scheduling for faculty contact from Partner schools, including seminars, teleconferences, videoconferences, student contact procedures
• Choose and train on software/other tools for job counseling and preparedness
• Market the cyberschool, including print media, press releases, promotional plans, Web Site/cyberschool "Publishing"
• Hire necessary office personnel
• Hire RE:Academy training specialist

4.1.3. Professional requirements and assembling the essential professional structure

The Professional team (which is also the administrative team)
RE:Academy presents the two Project Co-Leaders, who will oversee the workings of the cyberschool through the initial development stages, along with a minimal in-house staff. This team will work closely with selected staff from all partnerships, including schools, businesses, and mentoring services:

• Psychology staff, resident professor, online instructor, courseware development
• Mindy Machanic's Change Pages: Embracing Change: Living, Learning & Working Well:  
  The Human Side of Technology & Change — Mindy Machanic, Ph.D. * Hillsboro, OR
• URL: http://www.mindymac.com . 
  Resume: See Appendix A.