Beyond the Walls
The Startup Incubator is our home and hub for progressive STEM work at the Adelson Educational Campus. But it is also our launchpad for sending students and faculty out into the community -- locally, nationally, and internationally -- to work in authentic STEM contexts in the broader world. This work takes a variety of forms including volunteerism, internships, entrepreneurial ventures, and bootcamps. See below for stories about the work our students are engaged in beyond the walls of the school.
Student Stories
Supporting Cancer Patients at Mountain View Hospital
Medicine is transforming rapidly with a rising need for compassionate and technologically-adept workers. Upper School student Monica Zhong has been answering that call, spending the past year as a volunteer at Mountain View Hospital. "The work I did was delivering medical supplies for patients, mostly recently cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. I worked every weekend throughout the school year. The best part of my job was that, when I got a chance to talk to those patients, I got to know more about them. What I learned is that doing service for others can actually make one happy. If you change one's life in a good way, you'll feel the same. Selfishness only gives one loneliness." Monica's design thinking work in the Startup Incubator, which begins with empathizing with your target customer or client, is certainly paying off "beyond the walls" of our school.
Medicine is transforming rapidly with a rising need for compassionate and technologically-adept workers. Upper School student Monica Zhong has been answering that call, spending the past year as a volunteer at Mountain View Hospital. "The work I did was delivering medical supplies for patients, mostly recently cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. I worked every weekend throughout the school year. The best part of my job was that, when I got a chance to talk to those patients, I got to know more about them. What I learned is that doing service for others can actually make one happy. If you change one's life in a good way, you'll feel the same. Selfishness only gives one loneliness." Monica's design thinking work in the Startup Incubator, which begins with empathizing with your target customer or client, is certainly paying off "beyond the walls" of our school.
Transforming from STEM Student to STEM Teacher
Upper School students often have the opportunity to serve as camp mentors or counselors during summer hiatus, but Alex Davidson took on a role requiring even more direct responsibility over break -- he served as an instructional intern for a Spark Skill UAV camp for teens. Working on a tight timeline to help students from across the city build and fly high-end drones, Alex successfully made the transformation from student to teacher -- appreciating the dual challenges of troubleshooting temperamental tech and engaging his students in the often-challenging process. From cutting and soldering to programming and calibrating, Alex was a critical and valued member of the Spark Skill team -- with a newfound appreciation of what it means to serve as a teacher.
Upper School students often have the opportunity to serve as camp mentors or counselors during summer hiatus, but Alex Davidson took on a role requiring even more direct responsibility over break -- he served as an instructional intern for a Spark Skill UAV camp for teens. Working on a tight timeline to help students from across the city build and fly high-end drones, Alex successfully made the transformation from student to teacher -- appreciating the dual challenges of troubleshooting temperamental tech and engaging his students in the often-challenging process. From cutting and soldering to programming and calibrating, Alex was a critical and valued member of the Spark Skill team -- with a newfound appreciation of what it means to serve as a teacher.
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Providing Supplies and Surgical Care to Families in Guatemala
You may recall Owen Retzer fundraising for medical supplies to be delivered to families at a nonprofit hospital in Guatemala. This summer, Owen delivered those supplies and spent a week volunteering for Surgicorps International at Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro. As part of a medical team, Owen organized patient screening, served as an OR surgical runner, and transported patients to post-op where he assisted nurses in providing care and comfort. Patients often travel long distances hoping that Surgicorps surgeons can help them, and during his time in Guatemala, Owen helped treat 127 patients and aided in 100 surgical cases. |
Growing a Squishy Passion into an Entrepreneurial Venture
Upper Schooler Emily Miller has been active in building seed funding from "squishy commerce" -- buying and selling foam character squishies for years. But when she designed an adorable new unicorn character for a game app in the Incubator, she saw the potential to create and market her own original design into the squishy universe. Emily formed her own LLC and sent her design to a manufacturer based in China which transformed it into peach-scented, 3D squishy, putting it into mass production. Simultaneously, Emily continues to build a massive Instagram following for her squishy sales, receiving orders daily from locales as far flung as Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. Buy yours today for $15 each via Instagram at @squishy.usa.
Upper Schooler Emily Miller has been active in building seed funding from "squishy commerce" -- buying and selling foam character squishies for years. But when she designed an adorable new unicorn character for a game app in the Incubator, she saw the potential to create and market her own original design into the squishy universe. Emily formed her own LLC and sent her design to a manufacturer based in China which transformed it into peach-scented, 3D squishy, putting it into mass production. Simultaneously, Emily continues to build a massive Instagram following for her squishy sales, receiving orders daily from locales as far flung as Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. Buy yours today for $15 each via Instagram at @squishy.usa.
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Developing a Web App in a Shanghai Coding Bootcamp
Richard Zhu grew his skills and his passion for coding last year in AP CSP -- so much so that he's spent his summer in coding bootcamp while visiting home in Shanghai. "We've been coding with Ruby on Rails," says Richard. "We are currently working on our final project, and for our team, we are building a live comment web app for slideshows [similar to] comments rolling on videos or live streamings. The core idea is that people tend to lose their attention while attending a lecture or a speech, but with this web app, where audiences can post live comments, they can definitely focus more on the slideshows or the speaker." |
Internship and Volunteer Opportunities
Internships are opportunities to work, in a paid or unpaid role, at a company in a professional field in which you have career interests. An intern is usually mentored by a experienced professional who helps provide meaningful learning experiences which allow the intern to develop new "on-the-job" skills in an authentic work setting. Read more about internships here.
Volunteerism provides you an opportunity to work, unpaid, in a less structured format in an organization which is often nonprofit or service-oriented. A volunteer is also mentored by a experienced professional who helps provide meaningful learning experiences. Often, volunteer work is task-oriented (e.g., setting up or working a specific event), but may be ongoing over a longer period of time (e.g., visiting patients at a hospital).
Amazon Future Engineer
If you're a coding-savvy, high school senior, Amazon Future Engineer offers a 12-week software development internship program providing hands-on experiences working with cutting-edge technologies and tools unique to Amazon. Based in Seattle.
Clark County Summer Business Institute
Students interested in business may want to apply to the Clark County Government Summer Business Institute. This paid 8-week internship takes place each summer and provides students ages 16-18 opportunities to work in country government offices and local businesses. Applications are due in early February 2019.
Discovery Children's Museum
For high schoolers with interests in science or informal education, you may be interested in serving as a Teen Volunteer at the Discovery Children's Museum, serving as a presenter, birthday party host, exhibit assistant, or office worker. Ages 14-18. Applications are accepted year round.
Opportunity Village
Have an interest in working to help intellectually challenged adults? You can volunteer with Opportunity Village in areas including the Retail Center and Fine and Performing Arts Education. Applications are accepted year round and schedules of varying hours can be accommodated.
Three Square
If you want to help tackle the ongoing hunger problem in Southern Nevada, then consider volunteering for Three Square. Here, you can sort and repackage food at the Three Square warehouse, fill backpacks with weekend food for children, package meals for kids in school programs, help out at special events, and box meals for the Senior Share Program. Ages 16 and older. (Students ages 14-15 can volunteer with a guardian present.)
Trial By Peers, Clark County Law Association
For high schoolers wishing to pursue a career in law, Trial By Peers is an outstanding opportunity to train with the Clark County Bar Association, participating in actual court cases in the juvenile system. High school students can serve as Jury Members, Clerks, or a Peer Counselors. If you want to be a Peer Counselor, you'll train for your job during a summer course taught by local judges and attorneys. Ages 12-17. Applications are due prior to summer training.
Volunteerism provides you an opportunity to work, unpaid, in a less structured format in an organization which is often nonprofit or service-oriented. A volunteer is also mentored by a experienced professional who helps provide meaningful learning experiences. Often, volunteer work is task-oriented (e.g., setting up or working a specific event), but may be ongoing over a longer period of time (e.g., visiting patients at a hospital).
Amazon Future Engineer
If you're a coding-savvy, high school senior, Amazon Future Engineer offers a 12-week software development internship program providing hands-on experiences working with cutting-edge technologies and tools unique to Amazon. Based in Seattle.
Clark County Summer Business Institute
Students interested in business may want to apply to the Clark County Government Summer Business Institute. This paid 8-week internship takes place each summer and provides students ages 16-18 opportunities to work in country government offices and local businesses. Applications are due in early February 2019.
Discovery Children's Museum
For high schoolers with interests in science or informal education, you may be interested in serving as a Teen Volunteer at the Discovery Children's Museum, serving as a presenter, birthday party host, exhibit assistant, or office worker. Ages 14-18. Applications are accepted year round.
Opportunity Village
Have an interest in working to help intellectually challenged adults? You can volunteer with Opportunity Village in areas including the Retail Center and Fine and Performing Arts Education. Applications are accepted year round and schedules of varying hours can be accommodated.
Three Square
If you want to help tackle the ongoing hunger problem in Southern Nevada, then consider volunteering for Three Square. Here, you can sort and repackage food at the Three Square warehouse, fill backpacks with weekend food for children, package meals for kids in school programs, help out at special events, and box meals for the Senior Share Program. Ages 16 and older. (Students ages 14-15 can volunteer with a guardian present.)
Trial By Peers, Clark County Law Association
For high schoolers wishing to pursue a career in law, Trial By Peers is an outstanding opportunity to train with the Clark County Bar Association, participating in actual court cases in the juvenile system. High school students can serve as Jury Members, Clerks, or a Peer Counselors. If you want to be a Peer Counselor, you'll train for your job during a summer course taught by local judges and attorneys. Ages 12-17. Applications are due prior to summer training.