Products

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Please note: This article originally appeared in the Pitsco Education 40 years, 1971-2011 book.

Products

Curriculum: T WLC, Campus Clubs, and Greensburg

(Editor’s Note: The following excerpt originally appeared in April-May 2006 issue of The Pitsco Network.)

Pitsco aces Tiger Woods Learning Center Education company provides 80 percent of all curriculum in new facility By Tom Farmer ANAHEIM, Calif. – Tiger Woods Learning Center administrators knew what kind of curriculum they wanted for their new, $25 million education facility. It had to include hands-on, career-based, engaging content that would inspire children and give them a glimpse into numerous skills, jobs, and career paths. A perfect fit turned out to be Synergistic Learning Systems and LEGO Education, members of the Pitsco family of companies. Pitsco products compose 80 percent of the TWLC curriculum. “We were impressed by Pitsco’s core offerings and flexibility to meet our unique program needs,” said TWLC Executive Director Katherine Bihr. “In addition, the delivery of the curriculum via technology, coupled with a hands-on experience, helps us create an authentic learning experience for the young people who come through our doors.” TWLC is a 35,000-square-foot facility in Anaheim, California, designed to enhance the educational experience for students in Grades 4-12. Students Harvey and his grandson Alex join Tiger Woods at a fundraiser for the Tiger Woods Foundation in Las Vegas.

come to TWLC during school, after school, and in the evenings to explore math, science, and language arts through real-world applications found in the Synergistic and LEGO Education curriculum. Among the topics covered in the Missions and Modules are Forensic Science, Rocket Science, Graphic Communications, Biotechnology, Genetics, Animals, Oceanography, Alternative Energy, Electronics, Robots, Crime Lab, and Microscopes. Modules and Missions are grouped in classrooms according to themes in a unique implementation of the content. “I really like the flexibility we had to thematically group program curriculum so that students can see there are many different options for them within a certain career path,” Bihr said. (Editor’s Note: The following excerpt originally appeared in April-May 2009 issue of The Pitsco Network.)

Returning the favor Youth leader from Philadelphia ghettos dedicates his life to helping inner-city poor in model after-school program By Tom Farmer MACON, Ga. – While growing up on the unforgiving streets of North Philadelphia, Tony Lowden faced many obstacles: gangs, drugs, poverty, and a dysfunctional family. But he was one of the lucky ones. He was saved – in more ways than one. Now, he’s committed to spending the rest of his life saving other underprivileged, at-risk youth, in part through education. Lowden is the executive director of Campus Clubs of Macon, Georgia, where he started a model after-school program that is spreading across the state. But that’s not enough. Lowden has set his sights on making it a national program because Georgia isn’t the only state where poor, at-risk students are in need of guidance on the road to strengthening their character and academic performance.

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A group of educators from Macon, Georgia, visited Pitsco in 2009 to receive instruction for curriculum implementation at the Campus Clubs after-school program.

His overriding goal for the past three years has been to return the favor he received as a youngster and save lives by reaching poor, inner-city youth through education and faith. “Dr. Martin Luther King said education is both intelligence and character. That is the goal of education. We’ve got to do whatever we can to educate our children and build on their character. If kids are intelligent and have no spiritual foundation, they could grow up to be a killer or rob a company.” Seeing the need to supplement underprivileged students’ education, Lowden started the Campus Clubs afterschool program that utilizes Pitsco Education and LEGO Education materials and curriculum. “We believe that the model we have could be the model for after-school programs across the country. We are partnering with government and school districts to build 21st-century learning centers,” he said. “We build robots and rockets and learn about math. Campus Clubs is a place where kids can get all the services they need to be successful in life.” (Editor’s Note: The following excerpt originally appeared in February-March 2010 issue of The Pitsco Network.)

From Greensburg to GreenTown Living up to its name, Kansas town rebuilding responsibly and serves as a model example for our curriculum content

residents, we have followed the trials and victories of this small town since its near-destruction by a tornado in May 2007. National media also follow Greensburg, and it has a Web site and a cable channel. Why is Greensburg so newsworthy that three Pitsco curriculum specialists and a photographer thought it was worth a visit? The reason is simple: Greensburg is living up to its name. After the tragedy of 2007, its residents picked themselves up and began rebuilding the town to be completely green. Their new organization, Greensburg GreenTown, coordinates and promotes the town’s activities. Greensburg is becoming a tourist attraction, a role model, and a living laboratory for others who want to learn how to “live green.” In October, four of us traveled to Greensburg to check out their progress. We visited several amazing examples of green building – some completed and operating, some still in the muddy construction stage. We were hosted throughout the day by Ruth Ann Wedel, Office Coordinator for Greensburg GreenTown, and received guided tours from several other highly knowledgeable Greensburg residents. How will our information-packed field trip to Greensburg affect Pitsco’s new Green Modules? Seeing these new technologies up close gave us all a much greater appreciation for how they work and how important they are in developing greener lifestyles. We hope our improved understanding will translate into Modules with a flavor of expert, firsthand knowledge. As part of their research for a series of Green Modules, Pitsco curriculum specialists visited Greensburg, Kansas, to learn about the latest green technologies.

By Carol Hand GREENSBURG, Kan. – When we learned we would be writing 10 “Green” Modules this year, several curriculum writers immediately thought, “Greensburg!” As Kansas

40th Anniversary

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