EAST lab offers unique experiences

EAST students spent part of their summer installing the technology equipment in the lab. The grant requires that students set up the lab and maintain the equipment. When problems arise, students must call for help and correct the problem. Jerry Prince, a representative from EAST headquarters in Arkansas watches closely as students hook up a computer. Students are Jeff McKay, Jonny Chase and Ryan Fullmer.

Adam Hartesveldt, at left, is shown with the logo he designed for EAST. It was selected as the winner in a nationwide competition. An EAST official from Arkansas said they believed the patriotic theme was just right. Hartesveldt also designed the logo on the tee shirt he is wearing.

Tyson Sonderland is shown helping the students from Mountain Home School with a video they filmed. The students and their teacher, Brenda Negley, who is watching Sonderland, have written a grant for sidewalks and will include the five-minute video with their application. Students who are part of the Sidewalk Crew are (L to R) Bow Reed, Jeff Borden and Thomas Grealish. The YHS students in the EAST lab have also worked with students from North Fork, Spring Valley, Sierra View and Chawanakee Home School.

Bailey Whitcanack

Yosemite High School is one of ten schools in California that has an EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) lab. Because it is one of the original schools to have been awarded a grant to establish the lab, it is a demonstration site.

EAST students recently mentored elementary school students and hosted EAST officials from Arkansas as part of their responsibilities as a demonstration school.

Later this month, students and faculty from YHS will travel to Little Rock, Arkansas for the annual EAST convention. YHS students will display some of their first-year projects at the event.

The EAST program is one like no other. The students in the class run the server and solve all problems themselves. The facilitator (teacher) is present to supervise. The program is based on self-directed student learning techniques. Most students praise the class. In fact, the only complaint is that there is not enough room for everyone who wants to get in.

One specific purpose of the EAST program is to get students involved in helping their community. Some of the current projects are: the YHS promotional video that will be shown to intermediate school students to show what they can expect from high school; a documentary of the building of the Evangelical Free Church in Oakhurst and a bus evacuation video.

EAST students are responsible for the design and installation of the Billy Vukovich III Memorial Marquee and they will soon be adding landscaping around the marquee.

Another major project is the Mission Merced Watershed. This will contribute to the conservancy of the Upper Merced River about which they are making a video. They will also be mapping the river in its entirety.

The lab contains state-of-the art technology equipment purchased with funds from the grant. There is a professional-quality printer, many software programs, a network server, a geographical positioning system (GPS) and much more.

Students are in the process of designing an EAST web site.

Facilitators for the EAST lab are Larry Pesetski and Mike Cole.