SCIENCE FOR YOUTH

IT Leadership Program

About SCI-FY

 

SCI-FY, a project of the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI), encourages students of color and women to develop skills, leadership, and an interest in the fields of computer science, engineering, information technology, and the sciences.  SCI-FY works with twenty-five middle school students between the 6th and 8th grades.  These youth are self-motivated and are on their way to becoming future engineers, technologists, scientists, and leaders of our global community.  SCI-FY facilitates the development of skills in problem solving, teamwork, lifelong learning, multiple ways of communicating, and technological literacy.  We serve students in the surrounding areas that include Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco counties.

 

SCI-FY has several programs that work together to create a support pipeline that identifies, recruits and retains promising new leaders who are women and otherwise underrepresented. Students engage in hands-on, inquiry-based projects and activities that challenge them to integrate their conceptual and procedural understanding.  The intent of SCI-FY is to cultivate in students an understanding of scientific thinking, the design process of engineering, the power of mathematical problem solving, and the application of computer modeling and programming to solving real-life problems.  We believe this exposure will help encourage historically underrepresented ethnic groups and women to pursue degrees in higher education and careers in science, technology, and engineering fields.   

 

The SCI-FY leadership training program consists of:

 

 

 

Academic year meetings that provide students an opportunity to assemble every other month to continue their learning and exploration of fun activities and projects.

For applications and more information,

call Chris Harrison today at 510-666-2967 or visit www.bfoit.org.

Biography of Christopher Harrison

PO Box 18964, Oakland, CA 94619
Phone/Fax: 510-461-3448
E-mail: christopherharrison@alumnae.mills.edu

Chris Harrison is a secondary school math teacher, a researcher in science education, educational leadership, and curricular technology, author, and a co-owner of a for-profit educational consulting practice that focuses on collaborating with community-based organizations with a vested interest in helping parents support their children academically.

His instructional, research, and consulting experience rests primarily with serving "low performing," "at-risk" and/or "disadvantaged youth" of diverse ethnic backgrounds in urban areas - with a particular interest in educating young African-American youth.  He has developed and modified science, math, character and special education curricula for youth, and facilitated workshops. Mr. Harrison has also consulted with school administrators, parents, teachers, and various community stakeholders in a wide variety of social/educational/religious organizations and institutions such as TRIO Programs, Oakland Unified School District, Emery Unified School District, San Lorenzo Unified School District, and local churches in Oakland.

 

His wide range of skills include experience in comprehensive/long-range planning, design and evaluation research, collaborative teamwork, project management, academic/career counseling, data-based decision-making, metacognition, technology-enhanced curriculum planning in math and science, systems analysis, and strategic school reform planning.

Chris’ primary interest in education evolved out of a commitment to improving the quality of life in urban, depressed, and distressed neighborhoods. Consequently, he found a way to put his passion for community revitalization and human development into action by engaging in educational practices that lead to the development of mental frameworks and resiliency to break the vicious circle of poverty, incompetence, and hopelessness while seeking to usher into communities a higher (and more-noble) standard of living.

He possesses a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Planning from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. He also completed a math/science teaching credential program at Mills College (in Oakland, CA) with a focus in math and science education. Chris holds a M.Ed. in Teaching and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Mills College. He is currently a doctoral candidate (Ed.D.) and a TELS Fellow (Technology-Enhanced Learning In Science) enrolled in the Educational Leadership Program at Mills College with an interest in investigating the role of instructional leadership, educational policy, and professional development in scaling up the NSF-sponsored TELS Center to make curricular technology for science education accessible to diverse learning populations across the United States.

Chris Harrison’s background includes a variety of preparation and work experiences. For example, he has acquired experience in mathematics education, social science and natural science research, and held many employment-related positions with various corporate companies and government agencies such as Anderson Consulting, New York Life, Farmer’s Insurance Company, East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), and the Atlanta Regional Planning Commission (ARC). He also served as a Program Assistant/Transportation Coordinator for a prestigious senior citizen center in Atlanta, GA (Quality Living Services), served as an Academic Coordinator for the Holy Names College Upward Bound Project and a math/science teacher and educational consultant with the Mills College Upward Bound Project, Oakland, San Lorenzo, and Emery Unified School Districts.

His accolades and professional affiliations are eclectic. For example, Chris is a member of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and he is an alumnus of the Mills College Upward Bound Program, the Omega Boys Club of San Francisco, and INROADS of San Francisco Bay Region. He was a member of the Community Advisory Board for the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley for two years. He also recently received the 2005 WESTOP Achiever’s Award (awarded by a TRIO Programs west cost regional organization) in Hollywood, CA to acknowledge his post-secondary accomplishments and contributions to the field of education in serving communities with a focus on the improvement of society. He has also participated in professional development training with the College Board, the Department of Education, the Omega Boys Club of San Francisco, CA (Violence-Prevention Program), and the Alameda County Office of Education.

Chris Harrison is happily married with three children (a son and two daughters) and is a native of Oakland, CA. He and his wife are co-owners of an educational consulting practice called Inward Journeys Consulting. They are also authors of a book titled, How to Help Your Child Achieve Academic Success in School: Educating Your Child During the Elementary, Middle, & High School Years. Raised in a single parent home by his mother in Brookfield Village in Oakland, CA, Chris Harrison serves as a living example of the positive effects that religious/extra-curricular (Community), educational (School), and familial (Parental) efforts can have on helping youth overcome challenges in high poverty, drug/crime infested urban areas.

A Component of BFOIT

SCI-FY is the middle school component of Berkeley Foundation for Opportunities in Information Technology (BFOIT).  BFOIT was founded in 1997 in order to assist disadvantaged and underrepresented youth in pursuing higher education in computer science and information technology fields in public universities and colleges in California.  The BFOIT Summer Institute for Future Computer Scientists, brings twenty-five high school students from the surrounding counties to the Berkeley campus in order to learn some fundamentals of computer programming, discuss educational and career opportunities, and experience the university environment.