February 23, 2024
Renton Prep is so thrilled and honored to announce that we won Tech for Good Challenge 1st runners up in category of Ensuring Quality Education for All! Every year, we challenge our students by partaking in various national and global competitions. We believe our quality of education is award-winning and we’re not the only ones.
The Tech for Good Challenge is a Microsoft education challenge done every year. The challenge is for schools to incorporate technology into service-learning actions related to local or global issues.
This year, our school-wide (K-10) Tech for Good Challenge focused on the life cycle of salmon, Indigenous culture, and environmental causes. Once we choose a topic it becomes an ongoing project for the whole school year. This allows us to focus in-depth on multiple Global Goals such as Quality Education, Good Health and Wellbeing, Life on Land, Life Below Water, and Responsible Consumption and Production.
Students worked in-depth alongside environmental scientists and Friends of Issaquah Salmon Fish Hatchery in the Cedar River. While the salmon migration is a yearly occurrence, this year we were even more
intentional in our studies and connected it to the Global Goals.
Many students had a lot to say about being a part of such an incredible schoolwide effort. Including Sophie from 1st grade who shared, “It’s cool that all the kids in the school in all the grades helped the salmon.”
“We helped the salmon survive,” said 1st grade student Nzula.
In this challenge, students represented the International Society for Technology in Education Standards:
Empowered Learner, Digital Citizen, Knowledge Constructor, Innovative Designer, Computational Thinker, and Creative Communicator.
Using code.org, students created apps that would demonstrate the life cycle of the salmon. Aside from code, students also used powerful Microsoft tools such as OneNote, PowerPoint, Excel, and Sway to complete their projects. Students also used the web tools Flipgrid and Wakelet.
“We all created an animation or game to teach people how the salmon life cycle worked. I also learned stuff while making mine. I learned more about coding and how the salmon life cycle, well, cycles!” shared seventh-grader David Le.
Microsoft’s Tech for Good challenge has made a huge impact here at Renton Prep. But, the challenge also had students pondering how tech can impact the world for the better.
Seventh-grader Jiovani Green says, “Tech is a major part of our society, without it, I don’t think we would be alive.”
Another seventh-grader, Gabriella Allen Thompson believes that “We can use technology to make a difference in the world by spreading positivity, and inspiring people to do good in the world”.
Seventh-grader, Judah Plant summarized it best on how tech can better the world. “Tech can make a huge difference in the world by making tasks easier, more efficient and we can learn more about how things work.”
All while bringing awareness to the precious salmon population by using the tools of tomorrow.
It’s important to us that we teach our students the powerful effects of the environment, other cultures, and global issues. We believe that the best way to prepare our students for success is with a curriculum that combines digital tools and research-based learning practices.
Contact us today to learn more about how you can help the next generation grow into future leaders. Or Apply for 2022-2023 enrollment today!
Stay informed with all the latest news at Renton Prep and Amazing Grace.
