Highlands Middle School students win December 2012 Jefferson Award | Schools

FORT THOMAS, KY (FOX19) - By: Peggie Hughes

Highlands Middle School won the December 2012 Jefferson Award with their service-learning project, Kids Vote 2012.

Since the 2012 election was widely followed in the news media, Highlands Middle School math teacher, Katherine Donelan, took advantage of the Presidential election by implementing a service-learning project with her math and data analysis classes.  Mrs. Donelan and her math students felt the need to educate the 6th, 7th and 8th graders on the political issues most important to young people.  Furthermore, the students wanted to promote civic engagement and Americans’ right to vote. The Highlands Middle School students learned about the local and national issues being decided by voters.

Mrs. Donelan’s math and data analysis students utilized their classroom knowledge of statistics to calculate the results and compare data for the school-wide mock election.  Mrs. Donelan’s students worked with Diana McGhee, Director of Technology and Information for Fort Thomas Independent Schools, to design an electronic ballot utilizing Google Docs and Excel.  The students were able to export the data they collected from their Google Doc ballot into an Excel spreadsheet.  The students learned to sort the data, compare it and eventually analyze the results of the mock election to the actual election results.

The following students worked on the project:

Abanto, Simon

Addepalli, Sudarsana

Aubrey, Logan

Bibb, Mason

Combs, Nathan

Curry, Madison

Davis, Jayden

Davis, Nathan

Dunwoody, Jonathan

Feinauer, Avery

Ford, Alan

Gish, Cory

Gish, Nick

Hall, Iyana

Hodory, Brooke

Homer, Josh

Horton, Jacob

Huber, Griffin

Huddleston, Keaton

Hunter, Karsen

Hussein, Adres

Marcus-Ream, Avi

Mayse, Brett

Mentzer, Kelly

Mohr, Abigail

Rom, Drew

Schuett, Elliot

Wade, Thomas

Wagner, Corey

Walz, Brady

Whitford, Michael

Workman, Juliannah

Ms. Kristen Hedgebeth, a local judge for the Jefferson Awards, said, “I was most impressed by the students’ engagement and their use of technology.  It is a great approach to practicing relevant, 21st century skills.  They addressed an authentic need for today’s youth, that is, education around local and national issues and how to practice one’s right to vote.”

The Jefferson Awards for Public Service and Children, Inc.’s Mayerson Service-Learning Initiative believe students do make a difference in our communities. In an effort to highlight students who are making a positive impact in their communities and the world, Children, Inc. recognizes exceptional service learning projects each month.

For more information about this and other service-learning projects, please visit Children, Inc.’s Service-Learning webpage at www.servicelearningnky.org .