Students from two local schools may soon be learning issues and sharing cultural values with peers from around the globe, using cutting-edge computer technology.

The Dawn Project is described as an international network of students and teachers. Current plans are to make it available to some or all high school students at Lincoln Park Academy, and to Forest Grove Middle School students who are enrolled in the school’s Marine Oceanographic Academy preparatory program.

“This is an opportunity to engage students in a global learning community,” said Owen Roberts, assistant superintendent of accountability and assessment for St. Lucie County Schools. “You could be talking to people in the U.S., students in Europe or Asia.”

The Dawn Project was first described to county school board members last month by Mike Lannon, shortly before he retired as schools superintendent for the month of October; He expects to be rehired by the school board at its Oct. 13 meeting to begin work again Nov. 1.

According to Lannon’s Sept. 22 presentation to the board, The Dawn Project will offer individual and personalized instruction for teachers and students. The project’s literature cites “core aspirations” of preparing students for globalization and reducing inequality driven by globalization.

Lannon said St. Lucie County was one of three U.S. sites chosen by the project’s foundation, the others being schools in Atlanta and San Ramon, Calif.

Lannon said the project intends to link 87 such sites in 37 countries.

“We were selected because of our commitment to technology and the commitment to progress that we’ve been engaged in over the past few years,” Lannon told the board.

Schools Director of Communications Janice Karst said Thursday that Dawn Project Chief of Staff Jim Snyder in Deland was not ready to release any more details; he could not be reached by Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers.

Roberts said the district is not yet able to provide any more details on the project, including a start-up date.

“We’re still working that out with The Dawn Project folks,” he said.

Among pending issues Roberts cited was making sure The Dawn Project meshes with what’s already being taught.

“We must make sure that the curriculum on the project aligns with what’s currently in place at both schools,” he said.

Roberts said both schools will get new studios with information technology links and large-scale video screens.

“They are going to build labs and do that at no cost to us,” Roberts said. “There’s no cost that I’m aware of at this time. It is being funded by the organization entirely.”

The Dawn Project was begun by San Francisco Bay-area businessman and philanthropist Charles Hall-Pinner.

“It’s an idea at this point,” Karst said. “We’ve signed on to the vision and concept.

“We have to work together toward the vision of the project,” she said, “to give students a chance to expand their education and be global thinkers.

“You’ve heard of Doctors Without Borders?” she added. “This is educators without borders.”

-By James Kirley

Tags: Schools, St. Lucie County

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