Partnerships – Blueprint Education

Isos Technology Lunch and Learn Event

Jeff Del Nero — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 22:55:44 +0000

As the Hope High School and Hope High School Online students pulled up to the business plaza and approached the glass-paned building, they were unsure of what exactly they would be walking into. Greeted with warm smiles and an abundance of swag, the Isos Technology team made the students feel right at home. Ushering them into their uniquely agile office space, our students were awestruck with the “cool” brightly colored graphics spanning the walls, a fully outfitted pool table, and a secret room hidden behind a bookshelf to boot.

The Isos CEO Thad West, and Director of Agile Services, Tracy Walton, graciously offered our students a seat at their table. As the students spread out to sit around the large executive conference room with other Isos team members, our students were immediately eased into the “people-centered” world of this company. Tracy launched them into a fun icebreaker that helped ease them into this new innovative environment. They learned about open and closed communication, crafted personal achievement goals, and got to flex their confidence skills by creating and sharing “I AM” statements. Statements that our students had not been asked before because of their previous online or brick-and-mortar school experiences that failed to expose them to opportunities.

As the students sat around the corporate table, rubbing elbows with the CEO, they were both shocked and amused to learn that he was a bit of a slacker his first go-round in college, that he made only three dollars an hour at his first job, and actually, couch surfed for a while before his “what are you doing with your life” lightbulb turned on. In other words, Hope High School and Hope High School Online students related to his story. The students questioned Mr. West about his motivations, failures, and successes. His candor made them eager to take in the real-world lessons of this “Comeback Kid”. His counterpart, Tracy Walton was the ultimate cheerleader in the room. She dropped gems like “be resilient”, “live life above the line”, and “be intentionally open to change”. Tracy brought the strong, foundational pieces that both our Hope High School and Hope High School Online students needed to hear.

Needless to say, after a full office tour, a deli spread with all the fixin's, and a good dose of practical business and real-life hacks, our students were full, literally and figuratively. They left this “Lunch and Learn” event motivated to find the next right steps towards reaching their goals and they felt truly seen and heard by this amazing group of professionals that met them right where they were.

It is because of businesses like this, willing to live their mission and cultivate an agile culture in our youth, that the future workforce will thrive. We genuinely thank Isos Technology for opening its doors and curating the opportunity to serve alongside Blueprint Education’s charter schools for the day. The greatest gift of all though was our students being overwhelmingly affirmed that they belonged there in the first place.

Hope High School Online is the better online high school in Arizona designed just for you. Powered by an incredible team that is truly available so you’re never alone or frustrated. This free online high school is specifically designed for individuals. Our curriculum uses an instructional model grounded in research and aligned with state standards. Register here. The best part is you can start right away, no waiting! We don’t run in cohorts, we don’t have homeroom check-ins, and we don’t require daily zoom calls! It’s truly self-paced and works into your own schedule. Hope High School is our brick-and-mortar high school located in Southwest Phoenix. If you are seeking a smaller, more tailored, and flexible school environment, check us out.

More about Isos and Blueprint Education. Krissyn Sumare guest blog for Isos, "Agile in Education: How Hope High School Embraced the Journey and Learned to Fly."

#yourplaceyourpaceyourpurpose, #onlinehighschoolaz, #enrollhhso, #enrollhhs, #hopehighonline, #hopehighschool, #agileineducation

VIP – A Day On The Ranch

Lori Diab — Fri, 13 May 2022 00:38:38 +0000

The VIP Program Connects Students To A New World

https://www.blueprinteducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/The-VIP-Program-Connects-Students-To-A-New-World.m4a

On Friday, April 29, 2022, the VIP program (which stands for value, independence, and purpose) provided by Blueprint Education, transported 22 students from Hope High School and Hope High School Online, to a wonderful outdoor retreat experience at the Flying E Ranch. The students, Blueprint Education staff, TDH coaching team, ranch staff, and the on-site cowboys all added to the positive, action packed day. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for many students and they will certainly remember this for years to come.

The day started out with an hour-and-a-half ride to Wickenburg, AZ completely outside of our student's geographic comfort zones. Upon arrival at the Ranch, students were greeted by the staff and each given a personalized bag of western goodies as well as their very own VIP swag. Cowboy pens, bolo ties, and beach towels for the afternoon beach party were just a few freebies that awaited them.

Horseback Riding and Swimming Out In The Desert

https://www.blueprinteducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Horseback-Riding-and-Swimming-Out-In-The-Desert-1.mp3

After 30 minutes of an exceptionally warm welcome, half of the students were whisked off to the stables to mount horses (most of them for the very first time), while the other half hopped aboard a ranch trailer and took a ride into the desert to experience their hand at archery, axe throwing, cow lassoing, and horseshoe tossing. This session ended, of course, with surprise snow cones that cooled everyone down. The two groups swapped out and the fun started all over again.

Then, after building up the courage to ride a massive horse into the desert, and taking pictures in a mock western town, the whole crew headed back to the main hall for some self reflection time. The life timeline project that TDH Coaching hosted was a phenomenal two hour social/emotional exercise. It gave our students hope and demonstrated just how resilient they truly are. Being completely "away" led students to be more open with one another. They learned that there was great power in their stories of overcoming the odds and they were taught the skill of "sitting with their feelings" as a means to work through them. The students received an excellent start to becoming the best version of themselves.

The students then raced to be the first to dive into the cold swimming pool located in the middle of the Ranch. Surrounded by ping pong tables, a life sized chess board, and several minute-to-win-it '' game challenges, the students relaxed poolside with an abundance of water noodles and leis around their necks. As the sun began to set, they enjoyed an open grill steak dinner, while still bopping to the beach party playlist and making forever friends on the terrace.

Campfires Bring Truths To Light

https://www.blueprinteducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Campfires-Bring-Truths-To-Light.m4a

After the dinner cookout, the only thing left to do was gather around the campfire. Many of the students experienced making S'mores for the very first time, and took their shot singing legendary campfire songs such as "Sweet Caroline" and "Leaving on a Jet Plane". Even Cowboy Taylor and the ranch crew became a part of us that night. They jumped right into helping the students get comfortable by holding up lights for them to see the lyrics in their songbooks.

The night came to a close with students having the opportunity to share and then throw their “distorted” truths about themselves into the campfire, the distorted truths that had been holding them back. They spoke true words of affirmation to each other around that glowing fire. Memories were made, tribes were created, and their guards were let down under the sea of stars in the darkest of desert skies.

Everyone left feeling fulfilled, recharged, and grateful for the experiences and the opportunities that will launch them into their futures.

Visit Our VIP Page >

We Are Now Ready For Takeoff

Jeff Del Nero — Thu, 05 May 2022 16:50:54 +0000

Agile in Education: How Hope High School Embraced the Journey and Learned to Fly

https://www.blueprinteducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/1-Krissyn_blog_intro_1.mp3

When Krissyn Sumare was offered the position as the next Hope High School Principal in 2014, she was ecstatic, despite the negative circumstances surrounding that school. Things like violence, drugs, poor attendance, and low proficiency rates all threatened school closure, but Krissyn was ready, willing and up to the challenge. What she wasn’t ready for, was a new CEO who proclaimed that “Agile and Scrum” was going to be a “solution” for both high schools and the struggling district. No teaching methodology course or academic journal could have prepared her for this complete organizational shift in the way learning and business would ultimately move forward.

At its core, Agile in education means leaving the current prescriptive, gatekeeper controlled, assessment-focused models, to embrace a more transparent, iterative, and student-driven experience. To make it work, teachers and staff needed to feel trust and be given autonomy to innovate and foster new types of classroom experiences and students needed to stop feeling like education was something being done to them.

There it was. It all sounded good, but she still wasn’t convinced that Agile in education would fly.

From Pointing Away to Huddling Up

https://www.blueprinteducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2-Krissyns_blog_From_Pointing_Away_to_Huddling_Up.mp3

As Krissyn described, there were 99 problems revealing themselves but no plan of focus on which one should be addressed first. Why? Because the schools and staff had fallen into the habit of pointing out the “wrong” instead of taking the challenge head-on to innovate and iterate towards incremental improvements. How was someone supposed to even begin chipping away? In Krissyn’s words, It literally felt like a stalled plane on the runway. All the passengers were seated with seatbelts fastened, a new pilot at the helm, but somehow the plane couldn’t take off.

Instead, there were countless things keeping the organization grounded. The plane wasn’t painted, seats were dirty, windows were foggy, cabin air pressure not working, and the wings needed major repair. Agile and Scrum gave Blueprint, really a blueprint and structure to implement rituals and artifacts that helped prioritize what mattered and brought value to the schools and the organization. Once in the air, new perspectives could be seen. Issues that once seemed so overwhelming were now just dots on a map. We were flying! The air pressure was being addressed, and despite the foggy windows, we could see the sun shining and that inspired us to learn more about Agile and Scrum.

Teachers who once sat passively in a classroom working on the one thing they could control– lesson plans and information–began innovating ways to improve the air quality and seats. Students, who had been taught to stay in their seats, soon became chief designers and stakeholders in everything from what the customer flight experience should feel like to what color the paint should be. Our district went from being run by a voice in a control tower, to every employee being a voice as part of their own cross-functional teams.

Through consistent iteration, we have improved over time, eventually going from a school with a failing letter grade to a much improved “B” school! Through shared accountability and putting trust in the gap, we’ve grown enrollment by more than 200% and have renewed our charter schools well into the year 2037.

Transparency and Trust Over Silos and Slackers

https://www.blueprinteducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/3-Krissyns_blog_Transparency_and_Trust_over_Silos_and_Slackers.m4a

Krissyn clearly remembers the moment she realized our educational culture was actually transforming. There is an all-too-common conversation between teachers and students: “If you want to get a good grade in my class, you actually have to be here.” To Krissyn’s delight, during a student scrum team’s retrospective, student A said to student B, “Dude, one of the reasons things didn’t go well is because you didn't show up for two days.” The teacher, standing in the back of the room facilitating, cracked a dainty smile and waited to see how things would play out.

Student B rationalized that he had finished his tasks so it didn’t matter that he wasn’t in class. The aha moment was when his team helped him recognize that he had value beyond these tasks–they needed his contribution to the creative process. He had missed the ideation of their hypothesis, and also the day that they uncovered three possible solutions. At that point, student B realized attendance was really about being a part of something bigger than himself–being a part of a community of learners, seekers, and problem solvers.

Not only did the teacher forego her traditional gatekeeper role, she also learned that by creating the space and opportunity for honest reflection and team improvement, her students would hold each other accountable for being in their seats.

Cultivating a Collaborative Culture of Inspired People

https://www.blueprinteducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/4-Krissyns_blog_Cultivating_a_Collaborative_Culture_of_Inspired_People.m4a

In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger writes, “I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do is, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff, I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going, I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.”

Most organizational leaders will tell you that they feel an innate need to do all the “catching.” They take on the role of the pilot and think it means that they must control all the details of what’s going on inside the plane when they should be keeping their eyes focused clearly on where they are headed. Transformational leaders want to be known for inspiring their teams to do great things, and this rings true for teachers as well. Our agile transformation was not about rattling off scrum vocabulary or having a common language. It wasn't about things being perfect or wishing for overnight change. It was about cultivating a collaborative culture of inspired people that want nothing more than to motivate our end users–our students.

We are not that far removed from our first awkward sprint, and there are many times the start of school seems impossible and the turbulent descent at the end of the year brings a much-needed sigh of relief. The difference is that now, even when there are a million little things that need to be fixed, we sit in pure anticipation of that weightless moment when our wheels lift off the ground and everything is possible.

Agile in education, does fly. Teachers across the globe are embracing and implementing Agile values in their classrooms, and our organization looks forward to the day more administrators, superintendents, and school districts adopt this way of working together and educating our future pilots.

The paradox of being a great educator is knowing which students will fly when you push them and which ones need more attempts at it, and I suspect the same could be said of an agile leader in any industry.

So are you ready for takeoff? Come fly with us.

www.blueprinteducation.org
www.agileineducation.org
www.agileeducatorguide.org

BlueCross Blue Shield of AZ Agile Workshop

Jeff Del Nero — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 16:32:00 +0000

Students were able to work in groups that allowed them to work on critical thinking and communication to create an idea that could potentially provide a service.
Students were able to work on public speaking skills by presenting to others what they had created and how it was going to function.

Hope Champion Scholarship Awards Spring 2019

Marmy Kodras — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 19:42:51 +0000

Hope Champion Scholarship Awards Spring 2019

So What Is the Hope “Champion” Scholarship?

This scholarship is available for students at Hope High School who will continue their education at a community college, trade school, or career certification program. This scholarship will supplement tuition rates that are above the financial aid awarded by the federal government.

The Hope “Champion” Scholarship is FOR:

students who have made less than adequate choices
students who have difficult lives
students who are, for the first time, seeing their own potential for success
students who are ready to make the right choice to be their own champions!

Hope High School is operated by Blueprint Education Inc. Since 1969, Blueprint Education Inc. has served students who need different options when it comes to academics and learning. Our mission is to inspire students to make better choices and be champions of their own learning. Blueprint Education Inc. provides a lot of flexibility and support for students whose lives are anything but ordinary.

Our nonprofit status benefits any individual or organization looking to help students continue learning after high school. If you are interested in donating to Blueprint Education, please visit our website.

Howard Sublett visits Hope High School to see Scrum In Education at work.

Jeff Del Nero — Sun, 05 May 2019 18:08:35 +0000

I’m not sure how to describe this… well first, I’m sitting in a rental car in Phoenix and it’s a lovely 75 or 80 degrees. But in case you don’t know, I’m Howard Sublett, I am the product owner for the Scrum Alliance, and I had an opportunity to come to Phoenix, Arizona to see something I’ve heard about and read about. This “agile in education” at a place called Hope High School.

Howard Sublett video

It’s— again, I don’t know how to put words to this; but when you get to meet people like this that are the principal, and a certified scrum master of a high school! Where you have got students running in scrum rhythm, and you get students learning in a team where they’ve increased their graduation rate phenomenally. Hope High School is the school for which is the last resort for many kids. They’re there for a lot of different reasons—many not of their own doing—and to walk in here and see the joy that these kids have, the hope (for lack of a better word) that they have for their future. One of the kids graduated today and so they have graduation the moment the kid hits the accumulation of hours. They stop everything. Every kid stops everything and then come out and celebrate the joy that someone graduated on that day.

I wish everybody can come in and see Krissyn Sumare and see Mark French, and see the people here and get to watch these kids go to a scrum board manage their work and look at their working agreements on the wall. To see it up close and personal. I am getting to go from here to actually a CSM class where a group of the teachers and a group of the students are actually in and learning. So I’m hoping they will give me enough permission maybe to do a follow up with them so I’m heading there now. But if you’re not paying attention to agile education or scrum in education I think you should. It will definitely pull on your heartstrings! These kids did for me. Thanks!

A Scholarship Available to a Hope High School Graduate Who Enrolls with Pima Medical

Jeff Del Nero — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 23:14:34 +0000

Today (March 22, 2019) Michael Porpora, President West Division at OnePoint Patient Care spoke to the JAG students at Hope High School about careers in pharmacy. Also, to the delight of the students, he brought pizza!
Mr. Porpora explained that the field of pharmacy is open to high school graduates who can begin as a Pharmacy Technician Trainee.

Find out More About Being a Pharmacy Technician Trainee >>

Mr. Porpora also shared that there is a scholarship available to a Hope High School graduate who enrolls with Pima Medical to pursue a certification in the field pharmacy.
Mr. Porpora is a board member of Blueprint Education which is the charter holder for Hope High School and Hope High School Online.

https://hopehighschool.org/
http://www.hopehighonline.org/

When You Just Don’t Like Your Instructor

Mary Del Nero — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 04:37:43 +0000

When you just don’t like your instructor — “I can’t stand my teacher besides they don’t even like me!” If you haven’t heard this yet from your student, don’t be surprised when it comes up some time soon. How can we help our disgruntled pupil successfully maneuver through this rough patch? Here are three suggestions to move through it.

1. Actively listen to your student’s heart.

Often while raising our scholars, school and all the activities consume our families lives keeping us so busy that we don’t have extra time to process the details. Stopping your life to listen to your student can seem unproductive but truly this can be an important investment in your family. Those few focused minutes of hearing their heart could affect their current state-of-mind and future work situations. This caring gesture can build trust in your family and a foundational framework to sort through interpersonal matters together.

2. Don’t figure out a solution.

Often as parents we want to fix the problem instead of allowing them to wrestle with it a little longer. Remind them that relationships are 50/50 so have them reflect on their actions. Next have them vocalize the problem and state what they could do next time to get a different and positive result. Hearing themselves puts them in control of doing something for themselves. We can’t change others, we can only change ourselves

3. It will show up again!

Whether it’s during this same year or down-the-road at their workplace, they will have to deal with these uncomfortable relationships again. So it’s a great opportunity to build this muscle of perseverance and interpersonal toughness. Even though it’s horrible for us parents to stand on the sidelines, it’s the best opportunity for our students to mature while they grow. Then when tough situations arrive later in life, they will be ready and possess the experience to work it out.

With our fast-paced lives it’s difficult to add one more problem to deal with in our day. Listening to our students instead of fixing their problems is a more difficult task but the rewards are substantial. Allowing these future employees to wrestle with their occasional unproductive feelings could help them put in place a more clear and realistic picture.

It’s worth a try to work through these personal feelings rather than give up. Quitting will just slow down the goal of graduation.

A generous donation of the surplus food was made by a local Farmer’s Market to our students and their families.

Mary Del Nero — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 16:00:13 +0000

Mitch donated fruits and vegetables to our HHS students yesterday. Students and parents were thrilled! I was surprised how excited the kids would get over healthy food.

Books and minds weren’t the only things being opened at Hope High School last week. A generous donation of the surplus food was made by a local Farmer’s Market to our students and their families. Mitch Horlick, our Board of Directors President, pulled this incredible opportunity together for Hope High School. “We are very grateful for the continued support of our Board and community,” states Krissyn Sumare, Hope HS Principal, “it’s incredible to have such an outpouring of love for our students, who truly are deserving of this. Our students deal with such overwhelming challenges in their lives that school often times takes a backseat which only further disrupts their growth and success.”

“We are very grateful for the continued support of our Board and community, it’s incredible to have such an outpouring of love for our students, who truly are deserving of this. Our students deal with such overwhelming challenges in their lives that school often times takes a backseat which only further disrupts their growth and success.”
Krissyn Sumare, Hope High School Principal

Not only has Hope High School found its home in southwest Phoenix, but is building a strong community based on the unique needs of its high school students. Hope High School caters to students who haven’t found their niche for their academic needs. This unique high school caters to a variety of student types: those that work and help with the family finances, young parents, students with health challenges, students who need a more personalized learning environment. This successful school is operated by Blueprint Education Inc., a nonprofit educational organization inspiring students to make better choices and be champions of their own learning since 1969.

Caring for the needs of each individual student is the ingredient which has made Hope High School so successful. The goal is to get these students to graduation. If a bag of fresh groceries is apart of that solution, then that’s what we’ll do here at Hope High School!

Here is more information on Hope HS:

Minority Enrollment, 95%
56% of the HHS students are considered FRL (Free and Reduced Lunch)

FRL = A student from a household with an income at or below 130 percent of the poverty income threshold is eligible for free lunch. A student from a household with an income between 130 percent and up to 185 percent of the poverty threshold is eligible for reduced price lunch

Poverty Income Level = HHS issues poverty guidelines for each household size. For example, the poverty level for a household of four is an annual income of $25,750. To get the poverty level for larger families, add $4,420 for each additional person in the household.

Blue Cross / Blue Shield Gives Back – Partnering with Blueprint Education

Marmy Kodras — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 16:56:18 +0000

To find out more about our partnership, and to see other partners to our schools visit our page on the Blueprint Education Community Partners page.