July 2 - Bell Multicultural School Visit

Before the long weekend, the 2010 Pilar Barbosa teachers visited Columbia Heights area school Bell Multicultural School.

Bell Multicultural School

Bell Multicultural is part of the District of Columbia Public Schools and requires students to take AP English classes. We took a tour of their new campus, heard from students as well as from the principal Maria Tukeva.

June 30 - US Department of Education

On June 30th, the 2010 Pilar Barbosa teachers spent the whole day at the U.S. Department of Education, learning about community and family engagement, Title I and Title III, No Child Left Behind and many other topics.

In front of the US Department of Education seal

June 29 - Capitol Hill

The Pilar Barbosa 2010 teachers took a tour of Capitol Hill and briefly caught up with Resident Commissioner Pedro R. Pierluisi in between hearings. They also met with two of his legislative assistants who deal primarily with education issues.

The Pilar Barbosa 2010 teachers with Commissioner Pierluisi

June 29 - Visit to Butler Global Campus

On  Tuesday, June 29th, the 2010 Pilar Barbosa participants visited one of the 6 campuses of the Dorothy I. Height Community Academy Public Charter School (CAPCS). The Wilson and Odessa Butler Campus is located in downtown D.C., right by Scott Circle and prides itself on being a multicultural campus, with some 27 nationalities represented in the student body. The Butler Campus serves students from pre-school through 4th grade.

David D'Ercole addressing the Pilar Barbosa 2010 teachers

Academy Leader David D'Ercole spent some time with the teachers discussing the difficulties facing the D.C. public school system and how charter schools fit in to that situation, how he recruits teachers, as well as the various initiative his school has launched to encourage parents' involvement in their children's education. Later, David led us on a tour of his school and some of the teachers got a chance to check out the kids' study material first hand!

It's story time at Butler Global Campus!

June 28 - Visit to the U.S. Botanic Garden

June 28th started off at the U.S. Botanic Garden, a living plant museum located on the National Mall across from the U.S. Capitol. The teachers went on a tour of the garden and met quickly with an education specialist.

The Pilar Barbosa 2010 teachers at the US Botanic Garden

After the U.S. Botanic Garden, they enjoyed a little bit of free time to explore the National Mall, any of the Smithsonian museums located around the Mall as well as the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. They finished the day at the Holocaust Memorial Museum, the museum that depicts the history of the 6 million jews who suffered and died during the Nazis rule of Germany.

June 24

On the agenda for June 24:

9:00AM Providing Meaningful Environmental Education
With Ms. Rebecca Davis, Co-President, DC Environmental Education Consortium

10:30AM Alumni Now
With Sarah Jagonlinzer, Manager of Alumni Relations at The Washington Center

10:45AM Journal Sharing and Reflections
With Maria Rodriguez

11:30AM Computer Lab

1:00PM Benefits of Green Schools
With Joseph Khoury, Partner & Director of Preconstruction Operations at MCN Build LLC
And Sabrina Morelli, International Programs Manager at the U.S. Green Building Council

June 23 - National Air & Space Museum

Looking at the sun through the museum's telescope

June 21 - Orientation in Washington D.C.

2010 Pilar Barbosa participants at Washington Center's Headquarters

Bell Multicultural School ranked 37th best High School in US by Newsweek

One of the highlights of the Pilar Barbosa Program is visiting different schools in the Washington, D.C. and speaking with teachers, administrators and students about what they do well. One of the schools that we will be visiting this year, Bell Multicultural School just ranked 37th in Newsweek's ranking of the best High Schools in the US.

Bell Multicultural is a part of the District of Columbia Public Schools. Students there are required to take classes in either Spanish or French with the goal of becoming proficient in that language. All the students are required to take two Advanced Placement classes—one in English literature and one in English language—during their time at Bell. Some students also spend part of their school day taking classes at the University of the District of Columbia in pursuit of simultaneously graduating with both a high school degree and an associates degree.

May 22 - Orientation in Puerto Rico

On May 22nd, the 2010 Pilar Barbosa teachers spent the day learning more about the program and what they will be doing in Washington, D.C. as well as learning more about each other.

Getting to know each other with an ice breaker exercise. 

Pilar Barbosa teachers from previous years came to share their experience with the 2010 participants, give advice etc.

Pilar Barbosa alumni pose for a picture with Dr. Turner