Best of the best

For the third year in a row, Carmel High was ranked among the 1,600 best high schools in the United States by Newsweek magazine. The rankings are based on the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge (AICE) tests given at a school each year and divide by the number of seniors graduating in May or June. For this year's rankings, the magazine used the 2009 numbers.
Carmel placed 554. Go Padres!

In Salinas, an opportunity for at-risk youth to learn new skills and on-the-job training. Space is still available for The Rancho Cielo Drummond Culinary Academy, a program that gives students the opportunity to finish high school while receiving culinary instruction. Students will have the opportunity to complete a 200 hrs internship program at local restaurants. The program will offer job placement and referral services for graduates. For more information, click here.

Summer travel!

Andrew Clark, a junior at Stevenson School, is heading to the the National Rifle Association's annual National Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.). -- all expenses paid!!!! Y.E.S. is a 7-day educational experience in Washington, D.C. for outstanding high school sophomores and juniors. While in the nation's capital, Andrew will learn the significance of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights while developing an understanding of government and the importance of actively participating in it.
Andrew is founder of the Stevenson Hunting and Shooting Club, plays varsity Lacrosse and Football for the Stevenson Pirates and was recently selected as one of only 8 juniors at Stevenson School to be elected to the Cum Laude Society for academic excellence.
Hopefully the heat will have let up by the time Andrew makes it to the east coast. Have fun and congratulations!!!

And speaking of travel, York School teacher Kevin Brookhouser as an attendee at the next Google Teacher Academy, which will take place in London on July 29.
Last year, Brookhouser was named Teacher of the Future by The National Association of Independent Schools -- no kidding! After the free training in England, Brookhouser will become a Google Certified Teacher, which means he will be in the up-and-out of innovative technologies.
Brookhouser is thrilled -- of course -- to be among those selected. And he'll be blogging about his experience at iteachithink.com. The blog's not up yet, but then again, he still have a couple of weeks to prepare!

Summer of celebration!

Who says summer is just for camps or endless boredom?
It's also time to celebrate our local talent!
Yarieza Barboa, 14, is one of thirty-seven Boys & Girls Club artists whose work has been chosen to appear in the 2011 National Fine Arts Exhibit. Selected from more than 252 finalists vying for top honors at this year’s national competition, “Philosophical Angel” won in the collage division, and will travel with the National Fine Arts Exhibit on a nationwide tour. In recognition of their achievement, winning artists will receive a plaque and congratulatory letter from Roxanne Spillett, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Way to go, girl!!!

And speaking of local talent, two York students were among 25 in the Bay Area honored by the National Center for Women & Information Technology.
Marina and Natasha Nogueira were awarded the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing, which recognizes high-school women for their computing-related achievements and interests. Each recipient received a $250 gift card, A Day@Google, 1GB Microsoft flash drive, one year memberships to the Computer History Museum and The Tech Museum, an engraved award for both recipient and school, and much more!
The young women were feted at an award ceremony at The Computer History Museum on June 6.

And another local student, Minbo Bai of Salinas High School won a total of $11,000 in two scholarships from telecommunications company Comcast. One hundred and seventy six high school seniors won the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship, with carries a $1,000 award. But Bai, who will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall, also won one of two Comcast Founders Scholarships of $10,000 -- instituted in honor of Ralph J. Roberts, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Comcast Corporation.
The Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program, recognizes high school seniors for their leadership skills, positive attitude, academic achievement and various community service activities including mentoring and tutoring younger students, volunteering at hospitals and participating in relief efforts. The philosophy behind the program is to give young people every opportunity to be prepared for the future, to engage youth in their communities, and to demonstrate the importance of civic involvement, and the value placed on civic involvement by the business community.