TESTIMONIALS FROM SCHOOL PARTNERS
SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL, ART AND DESIGN | RACHEL KANTOR, TEACHER:
“Working with Civic Design Studio and Akonadi Foundation was the most impactful and meaningful project that my students embarked on during the 2018-19 school year.”
All four of my illustration classes participated in a poster contest created by Civic and Akonadi. Students made not only their best work of the year, but many pieces were at a professional level quality. Students were fully bought in with high engagement.
Students related to the theme "Oakland is Home" on a very meaningful level, and were able to take the theme in any direction that they felt strongly about. With the personal connection to the project and the high visibility of the winning posters at MOCHA and in Old Oakland, students really stepped up in a way that I had not witnessed before.
The showcase of student winners and runner ups at MOCHA allowed the students to celebrate together, have their work admired by the public and receive their awards and ultimately see the value and pay off that all of their hard work earned them.
Overall, this was such an amazing project and real world implementation of their artwork, and I look forward to working with Civic Design Studio and Akonadi Foundation again in the future!”
OAKLAND TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL | FASHION AND DESIGN ACADEMIES:
“Thank you for your continued support! Your industry and community partnership with the Oakland Technical High School – Fashion, Art & Design Academy (FADA) is invaluable. ”
You have offered FADA students a chance to extend the classroom into a workplace setting, combining classroom activities with actual work experience. This approach connects strong academics with real-world experience in a wide range of careers within fashion, arts, graphic design and media.
Civic Design Studio’ partnership supports our vision and mission as we strive to make dynamic, engaging, broad based arts opportunities available to all of our students.
We are excited for the opportunity to continue building enriched WBL projects, as they provide FADA students the opportunity to connect what they learn in school with work site application to enable a smooth transition into the work force or post-secondary education upon high school graduation.
Gratefully Yours - FADA Academy Directors and Leadership Team
CASTLEMONT HIGH SCHOOL | SUSTAINABLE URBAN DESIGN ACADEMIES | LILLIAN JACOBSEN, GREEN URBAN DESIGN TEACHER:
“The Civic Design/Oakland Housing Authority redesign project at 2349 83rd Ave. was a wonderful and engaging project for 11th Grade Urban Ecology students in the Sustainable Urban Design Academy (SUDA) at Castlemont High School.”
We spent 12 weeks on the project, beginning with a site visit and community engagement interview with one of the residents who lived in the apartment building. Students then completed an Existing Conditions Report with maps, photos and a SWOT Analysis, which they presented to University of San Francisco (USF) Architecture students who were working on the same project. During the second phase of the project, students learned to create a 3D model of the apartment redesign using SketchUp. The top five groups presented their designs to the Oakland Housing Authority at the end of the semester.
Students were deeply engaged throughout the entire process because it was in their own backyard, and they uncovered their own expertise about their neighborhood. The fact that it was a real project and that they had an opportunity to present to OHA at the end of the process raised the stakes for students, and the quality of their design work reflected this. The touchpoint with USF was also a wonderful way for students to gain a level of professionalism in their work. The interview with the community resident was one of the most memorable moments of the process for students, and many of their designs directly reflected what they heard during the interview.
More testimonials coming soon!