Hello Da Vinci Scholars and Families,

Check out the new real-world learning opportunities below.

For students interested in mental health:

Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation is offering The Be There Certificate. This is a free, self-paced learning experience designed to increase mental health literacy and provide you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to safely support anyone who may be struggling with their mental health. It provides a deep understanding of Be There’s 5 Golden Rules — a simple but actionable framework on how to recognize when someone might be struggling with their mental health, your role in supporting that person, and how to connect them to the help they deserve.

For students interested in animation:

Story Xperiential is offering a 9-week online experience that takes you behind the scenes at Pixar and introduces you to world-class storytellers. You’ll follow the Pixar process to create a storyreel of your own short story. You’ll livestream with different Pixar storytellers every Monday, submit your work to a gallery and receive ongoing feedback. At the end, your work will be showcased in an online exhibition. Next session begins October 3rd. Artistic experience is not required, the program is all about story. The program costs $25 for youth ages (13-18) and $250 for youth ages 18+. To learn more & register, click here.

For students interested in science or are looking for a paying job:

The California Science Center is offering temporary positions for Community Teen Interns paying $16.04 an hour. You must be a sophomore, junior or senior with a minimum 2.0 GPA available to work starting October 1, 2022. See the flyer for details. Fill out this application and email it to hr@cscmail.org to apply.

For students interested in the tech world:

Innovate<her> is offering a free 45-minute virtual course on User Experience Design (UX). Understanding UX is a beginner course for creative thinkers, problem solvers, and game changers! Learn the basics of UX Design and get to know how a designer thinks. You don’t need any prior knowledge or any materials. You only need a computer and internet access. To apply, click here.

Click on this link to register for the various sessions: Student Events 

We’re hosting events for students and their families to help answer questions about the college search process.

• Majors, Minors, and More: The Academic Experience at Liberal Arts Colleges– September 20  at 7 pm EDT
• Opportunities and Outcomes at Liberal Arts Colleges – October 11 at 7 pm EDT
• Campus Life and Building a Community– October 19 at 7 pm EDT

Remember the above times are Eastern Standard Time!

Hi WDV community-

Boys Soccer will kick off the 2022-23 season with an Info Meeting on September 1st from 4:00-4:15 pm in the quad.

Tryouts will be on the following days:

9th/10th Grade:

-9/20, 9/21, 9/22 Anza 4:30-6:00 pm (must attend all 3 days)

11th/12th Grade:

– 9/27,9/28, 9/29 Anza 4:30-6:00 pm (must attend all 3 days)

Questions? Contact Coach Danny Espinoza: despinoza@davincischools.org

GO WOLVES!!!

During September, the above colleges are coming together and will be holding two introductory informational webinars for students and families who wish to familiarize themselves with each of our schools and learn more about holistic admission, financial aid, and answer questions submitted by students in advance.

To view a full list of program dates and register, please click on this link: Coast to Coast 

Hello Senior Students and Families,

As you prepare for the college application process, many of you will apply for financial aid.  One of those funding options is our State Grant, called the Cal Grant.  The Cal Grant is funding for college that students do not pay back. The Cal Grant can be used at any University of California (UC), California State University (CSU) or California Community College, as well as qualifying independent (private) and career colleges or technical schools in California.

To qualify, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) by March 2, 2023 and meet the eligibility and financial requirements as well as any minimum GPA requirements.  Eligibility is based on your FAFSA or CADAA responses, your verified high school Cal Grant GPA, the type of California colleges you list on your FAFSA and whether you’re a recent high school graduate. To learn more about the qualifications, please visit www.calgrants.org.

Da Vinci Connect High School is required to submit student’s verified GPA to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). By law families can “opt out” of this process if you do not want Connect HS to submit your student’s verified GPA. If you choose to “opt out”, this means your student will not be eligible to receive a Cal Grant. In order to “opt-out”, please complete the attached form and return to Erin Knott via email at eknott@davincischools.org no later than September 16th, 2022.

If you do not return the “opt-out” form, Connect HS will submit your student’s verified GPA to the CSAC to determine your student’s Cal Grant eligibility.

To obtain an opt-out form click on this link Cal Grant Opt Out Form

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Erin Knott via email at eknott@davincischools.org

Boys Basketball tryouts will be held next Monday August 29 and Wednesday August 31 from 4:15-6:15 in the WDV gym

Monday, August 29th and Tuesday, August 30th is Connect High School’s Club Day.  This day is meant for students to share about their club and for peers to join clubs.  How will this work?  Clubs will have 5 minutes to present to advisory classes in a rotation. As students leave school for the day, QR codes will be posted outside for students to scan and join the club of interest. Any questions? Please contact Kene Washington at kwashington@davincischools.org

Hello Da Vinci Scholars and Families,

Cloud Computing is one of the fastest-growing careers in the United States! Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Cloud Practitioners earn on average up to $131,465 annually.

El Camino College is now accepting applications from current juniors and seniors who want to join the After-School Cloud Computing Career Pathway program, it’s FREE!

STUDENT & PARENT INFO SESSION – Online via Zoom

Wednesday, August 24th
6:00pm – 7:15pm
RSVP for Info Session

For more information, please click here.

Every year, Denison chooses a select group of high school seniors to participate in Dialogue with Denison, our multicultural fly-in program. Dialogue with Denison is a selective program that will allow interested students to learn more about Denison in general, as well as our multicultural student life.

Dialogue with Denison fly-in program will be held November 6-7, 2022.

Students will participate in the following:

• Engage in conversations led by Denison students about current issues and topics related to diversity and inclusion.
• Visit classes and learn about our academic programs.
• Explore multicultural student life and organizational spaces.
• Hear from multicultural alumni as they discuss their experiences and life after Denison.
• Build connections with Denison students and fellow high school students from across the country.

You can apply directly to the program directly via our application link (connect.denison.edu/register/DWDApplication). Applications are due Thursday, September 15, and decisions will be released in early October. Note the application requires the submission of the student’s unofficial high school transcript.

For additional information — including FAQs, a sample schedule, and eligibility — please visit the Dialogue with Denison webpage.