2018 Youth Town Hall Speaker Series

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For the second year in a row, IMPACT students covered each of the 4 Youth Town Hall events held in conjunction with the Desert Town Hall Speaker Series. 

The students were responsible for condensing each event into a concise clip with interviews and b roll footage to be shared across social media by the sponsoring organization. Even though it sounds simple, this is a challenging project that helped students to better understand marketing to specific audiences across different platforms while simultaneously meeting the needs of a client.

Most importantly, being able to attend the Youth Town Hall events gave students front row seats to world renowned speakers, authors, politicians, and personalities, helping them to understand their roles within a larger world. 

2nd Annual Digicom Symposium

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On March 7th, 50 IMPACT students were invited to attend the 2nd Annual Digicom Narrative Filmmaking Symposium at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. 

The event included screenings of multiples short films/series followed by Q&A sessions with the filmmakers from Project Involve.

Two IMPACT students, Renae Farias and Bexy Campos were selected to lead two of the Q&A sessions in front of 500 local high school students and teachers. 

Educating for Careers 2018: Do What You Can't

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IMPACT Instructor/Coordinator Tom Buck led a 70 minute workshop/session during the Educating for Careers convention in Sacramento. More than 100 educators from across the state attended the presentation titled, "Do What You Can't: Empowering Students with Digital Media".

Don't worry, it was actually a fun experience.

"Do What You Can't" takes a page from YouTube Filmmaker Casey Neistat's iconic video and applies the idea to how educators approach interacting with students and building their Digital Literacy skills. The main takeaway from the presentation is the idea the teachers must be actively involved in their subject matter and willing to take risks when trying new methods/strategies, with applications across all grade levels and content areas. 

Join me as I present during the Educating for Careers 2018 conference in freezing cold Sacramento! "Do What You Can't: Empowering Students with Digital Media" shares my own odd story of how/why I teach digital media, but more importantly, it explains how teachers (and other humans) can use digital media to take authentic control over personal and professional roles.

Mobile Live Streaming!

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With support from the DSUSD Technology Department, IMPACT students are now able to conduct multi-camera live streams from any location with a network connection. The primary goal was to provide coverage for the high school graduation ceremonies in June, but students can now also stream games, events, and performances. 

The setup, production, and teardown of a live stream setup also provides invaluable "real world" experience and problem-solving/communcation practice. 

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IMPACT Goes to 3rd Grade!

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On February 1st, a team of IMPACT juniors and seniors presented the CTE pathway to all of the 3rd graders at Gerald Ford Elementary School. The presentation tied in to a unit on Technology currently being studied by the elementary school students, and helped them to begin thinking about what they might be interested in studying when they arrive at high school.

During the presentation, IMPACT students explained the pathway, showed examples of their work, and senior Zephaniah Neri led a branding workshop where the 3rd graders worked together to create a logo for an imaginary comic book company. 

The KIHS Rajah Report is produced live every day by students in the IMPACT Career Technical Education Pathway at Indio High School. Visit http://ihsimpact.org for more information. Follow @ihsimpact on Twitter

Disney Animation Workshop!

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On January 12, 50 IMPACT students in grades 9-12 traveled to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure for a day dedicated to animation. Students spent several hours in an intensive animation workshop where they learned the essentials of Disney's animation philosophy along with the history of the medium. 

The workshop also focused on developing students' storytelling abilities, which are closely linked to key communication and critical thinking skills needed in college and the workforce. 

After the workshop, students were able to enjoy access to both parks for the remainder of the day, where they could have fun and get to know each other outside of the classroom/studio environment. Fun is good. 

PSIFF Student Screening Day

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For the second year in a row, Indio High School and IMPACT played host for the DSUSD screenings of the Palm Springs International Film Festival's Student Screening Day. More than 400 students from across the district were able to view two film screenings, with Q&A sessions after each, giving them a firsthand insight into the filmmaking process.

AYLA: THE DAUGHTER OF WAR
"In 1950, amidst the ravages of the Korean War, Sergeant Süleyman stumbles upon a half-frozen little girl with no parents and no help in sight. Frantic, scared and on the verge of death, this little girl captures the heart of Süleyman, who risks his own life to save her, smuggling her into his Army base and out of harms way. Not knowing her name and unable to communicate with her, Süleyman names her Ayla, in reminiscence of the moon on the fateful night during which they met. The two form an instantaneous and inseparable bond, and Ayla, almost effortlessly, brings an uncanny joy to the Turkish brigade in the grip of war. As the war comes to a close however, Süleyman's brigade is told that they will be returning home. Süleyman cannot bear abandoning Ayla, and does everything within his power to take her with him. After repeated failure, he is forced to give Ayla to an orphanage, but doesn't give up on the hope of one day reuniting with her. "

STUMPED
This documentary film followed the story of Will Lautzenheiser when, in his 20's, he suddenly became ill and had to have both his arms and legs amputated.

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Students talk with Will Lautzenheiser after the screening of his film, "Stumped".

"Taking an unconventional approach to therapy, Will begins to perform stand-up comedy, a creative outlet that helps Will cope with his losses.

As Will begins to accept his new life and adjust to profound challenges, news breaks about an experimental surgery that offers Will new hope to reclaim his independence. Putting his life and health on the line, Will risks it all to undergo a double-arm transplantation at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Within this medical drama is a deeply personal story in which Will, with the support of his partner Angel, his family and a world-class medical team, redefines his identity and forges a new path. Filmed over four years, STUMPED explores themes of adversity, creative courage, as well as the life-changing potential of pioneering medicine."

Universal Studios Trip

On November 3rd, Impact students were taken on a field trip to universal studios to see the VIP studio tour. The trip was kindly paid for by the district to take about 40 students and 3 chaperons to the park to experience the magic of digital media and emphasize the art of cinematogrophy in a real work environment.

During this trip, the students got to see all of the sets in which universal studios has or will film. They also went to a huge warehouse where universal stores all of its props and costumes for future movies and T.V. shows. To enhance the experience the students also got to see the animations and special attractions such as the shark from JAWS, as well as, a King Kong and Fast & Furious attraction. 

It was a fun day filled with wild attractions, rides, and positive memories for students to stay inspired and see the tips and tricks of how they can perfect their own skills. 

Students learning about all of the props and costumes at the warehouse.

Students outside the city hall set of Back to the Future!

SkillsUSA Year Two : Chapter Kickoff

SkillsUSA is an career and technical organization in which students from all over the nation can compete in and are prepared for the world of work. Regional competitions begin at the end of January. 

This year our Indio High School chapter doubled in size and incorporated other CTE (career technical education) pathways such as Impact, Network Systems, Health Academy, and Robotics and engineering.

Our very own SkillsUSA chapter adviser (Tom Buck) and 5 of our chapter officers had an anticipated chapter kickoff during the month of October where students from every CTE pathway had the chance to meet one another and bond with team building exercises. 

Students reported that they had lots of fun and enjoyed the activities. It was definitely a great way to start the year off with a treat. 

Filming Undercover

Students from our very own impact pathway and that are part of our after-school club with Digicom have been working on a very special project with our superintendent, Scott Bailey, to create a comedic series of "undercover boss"

The idea of the undercover boss project is to take our superintendent and place him in all of the areas of work around the district so that he can know how everything functions. It is definitely something unique and shows just how much Mr. Scott Bailey is invested in our district.

While it can be challenging to film due to busy schedules, both our superintendent and our students have worked tirelessly to bring the story to life. Our students can greatly benefit from this experience by getting community service hours, as well as, adding to their extracurricular activities. 

Digicom After School Program

As the year began and we noticed students excel in the summer screenwriting workshop, Impact has decided to collaborate further with Digicom and develop an after school program here at Indio High School. The program offers numerous opportunities for students to create and pursue their passion for digital storytelling.

Recently, some students have been spending a few hours every tuesday after school with digicom to perfect their skills in digital media such as screenwriting, camera angles and shots, and so much more!

Students also have the opportunity to get community service hours by using their digital media skills to create projects for outside sources in the community with the help of digicom.

Why it works? 

"Developing Digital Storytelling skills (making short videos) enables students to create their own original videos. This process fosters critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration.  These skills are the first step in re-engaging students.

Learning the art of Digital Storytelling empowers students and enhances their sense of self, engages them in their learning process, and expand’s their ability to communicate with the world they live in. This completely revolutionizes the educational experience."    -Digicom learning

Working together with Digicom is  an enriching experience that tells a story about how we can continue to grow and impact our students. 

New Broadcast Studio!

Just in time for the 2017-2018 school year, the KIHS Broadcasting studio received a MASSIVE upgrade. 

IMPACT Instructor/Coordinator Tom Buck spend a major part of the summer break renovating the studio. The weeks-long project involved the installation of a new floor, new equipment setup/wiring, and the construction of an entirely new broadcast set. 

The studio will be used for daily live broadcast streams as well as a variety of student/district projects. 

2016 - 2017 Recap: Year One!

After an incredibly busy (and fun) inaugural year, it's definitely a good idea to take a quick look back and recap some of the highlights of Impact's first year at Indio High School.

In addition to developing new curriculum and furnishing studios with new equipment, Impact closed out the year as an Arts, Media, and Entertainment leader in DSUSD, collaborating with a variety of schools, students, and district personnel. Here are a few more vital stats:
 

• More than 200 students enrolled in Impact
• More than 20 community events and field trips
• More than 400 experience and service hours
• Student work recognized and featured at 3 DSUSD Board of Education meetings
• Student work featured at Digicom X High School Film Festival

First-year Impact students gained experience producing short films, documentaries, animations, graphic designs, and more. 30 students played integral roles in launching a SkillsUSA chapter and competing in Skill and Leadership competitions at the Regional and State levels. 

Multiple industry professionals dedicated their time and talents to speaking and workshops in a variety of areas, and the KIHS Broadcasting moved into a new studio and began live streaming daily broadcasts in high definition via YouTube.

Even as summer break began, students volunteered their time to participate in a week-long Digicom Screenwriting Workshop and helped to build a new broadcast set from scratch.

It's almost a shame to take a break from all the fun, but the 2017 - 2018 promises to be filled with even more excitement and opportunity. Stay tuned!

Digicom Summer Screenwriting Workshop

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During the first week of summer break, 10 Impact student from Indio High School along with 4 students from Shadow Hills High School participated in a 5 day screenwriting workshop lead by Digicom's Ruth Atkinson.

The workshop gave students the opportunity to explore scripts and short film narratives before beginning to develop their own concepts. The second half of the week was dedicated to having students develop their own original scripts that can be further developed and/or produced when school resumes after summer. 

In addition to learning the fundamentals of screenwriting and storytelling, the workshop helped students to build communication skills while gaining a sense of introspection and personal perspective. 

Live Streaming Graduations Across the District

Impact KIHS Broadcasting students prepare for the La Quinta High School graduation stream

Not only was this the first year that each of the four comprehensive high schools in DSUSD (Indio, Palm Desert, La Quinta, and Shadow Hills) had live multi-camera high definition streams of their graduation ceremonies– the streams at each school were run by Impact KIHS Broadcasting students.

Students gained real-world live production experience through the setup and production of complex live broadcast streams using up to five separate cameras. The live streams allowed for graduating students to share the experience with friends and family who were unable to attend, and provides a simple way to look back and rewatch the ceremonies. 

Students were able to control cameras and audio from a mobile control room behind the stage

This large and complex project was made possible through support from the DSUSD Technology Department, which provided training, equipment, and support. As a result, Impact students are now able to conduct live multi camera broadcasts from just about any location– opening a wide range of possibilities for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year. 

June 8, 2017