Editor’s note: To read a long-form story with profiles of all 15 2014-2015 Blackboard Awards honorees, click HERE!
STATEN ISLAND TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
PRINCIPAL: MARK ERLENWEIN
9-12
485 Clawson Street, Staten Island
siths.org
AWARD: OUTSTANDING HIGH SCHOOL
Describe your school’s core educational philosophy.
Staten Island Technical High School, established in 1988 as a magnet school for students interested in pre-engineering, was granted status in 2005 as one of New York City’s eight Specialized High Schools (joining Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and Brooklyn Technical High School) in serving the needs of New York City’s most gifted and talented young men and women. SI Tech is a nationally renowned liberal arts high school with one of the most highly acclaimed college preparatory experiences across the curriculum, with an emphasis in STEAM, parent engagement, and premier college and career readiness programs, producing the nation’s finest scholars, problem solvers, innovators, and athletes.
Tell us about a few of the school’s achievements or distinguishing programs.
This school year we roll out year two of the 1:1 iPad Digital Education Initiative with both 9th and 10th graders participating, in an effort to continue in SI Tech’s tradition of providing students with the most current and cutting-edge technology education advantages. Our schools is transitioning away from textbooks and traditional education materials to a methodology that allows for digitized curriculum and resources that are engaging, interactive, collaborative, differentiated, and provide measurable feedback in real-time. [Also], our school’s new Career and Development Center is buzzing with numerous opportunities, offering students of all grade levels the opportunity to explore career pathways, via our “Backpack to Briefcases” series, featuring daily presentations from guests, as well as job shadowing and internships.
What’s new?
This past summer SI Tech launched our first summer internship program, funded by the Summer Youth Employment Program. Over 125 Students who identified “career interests” were matched with internships that closely matched the experiences and necessary skill sets related to the careers they indicated. Other students were placed in camp sites and school settings that provided challenging and exciting work experiences,
while also building important soft and professional skills while earning an income.
What do you love about your school?
I vividly remember 26 years ago starting the 1988-1989 school year as a freshman in SI Tech. Therefore, it was surreal and the absolute deepest honor for me to be named the principal in 2013… Now serving as our school’s Educational Leader and Lead Imagineer, I’ve been working over the past many years with an incredible team of teachers, students, parents, and community leaders in building the framework necessary to continue soaring skyward in all of our school’s future endeavors.
