Inside Dallas ISD

An inspiring speech from fifth-grader Colin Harris earned him first place in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition. Harris, who attends J.P. Starks Math, Science and Technology Vanguard, competed alongside seven other outstanding fourth- and fifth-grade students at the Jan. 17 competition. The students shared their original speeches addressing a question: “What would Dr. King’s vision be for America in 2020?” See photos from the event The law firm Foley and Lardner designed the annual oratory competition to recognize and encourage the writing and oratory skills of elementary students. Established in Dallas in 1993 and Houston in 1997,…

This past weekend was a day of trolling around for students and teachers throughout the District who participated in Destination Imagination Winter Blitz Workshop. With the Trolls World Tour movie theme, more than 1,700 elementary and secondary students from 125 schools came together for a day of fun as they prepare for regional, state and global DI competitions. Dressed in troll costumes during the workshop, Student Activities staff and presenters engaged more than 215 Dallas ISD DI teams in performance-based and hand-on activities throughout the day. “The workshop teaches team members to work cooperatively,” said Student Activities Coordinator Angie Nuno.…

Abitamim Bharmal is passionate about sharing his love for 3D printing with younger generations. He’s a 17-year-old senior who spent most of his summer earnings on upgrading the makerspaces and STEM labs at several Dallas ISD elementary schools. Bharmal is a student at the School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center. He’s an aspiring mechanical engineer and a self-described 3D printing hobbyist. VIVA Railings hired him as a welder in the summer of 2018. This was Bharmal very first job, and he installed railing systems in stairwells and balconies. He then spent about $1,600 of…

Students at O.W. Holmes Middle School capped off National Computer Science Week by dedicating one hour last month to learning about computer programming. The “Hour of Code” is organized by Code.org and started as a one-hour introduction to computer science meant to demystify the “code” that goes on under the hood of a computer. Students at O.W. Holmes were guided through game-like programs by volunteers from Amazon. This exposure to coding helped them see future career opportunities at technology companies like Amazon. Meanwhile, Anne Frank Elementary had hundreds of students earn certifications by participating in Hour of Code, and several…