Apply by 11th Aug 2014, to Job search startup Koru !teams up with WSU to boost students’ job opportunities

Koru announced today that Washington State University has become the latest educational institution to partner with the Seattle-based startup, helping students build work experience and find jobs out of college.

The company, led by Onvia co-founder Kristen Hamilton, partners with employers– especially technology firms –to place students for short stints of employment. That, in turn, is meant to connect students with potential employers, or at least help them build their resumé and develop skills they need to succeed in the working world.

“It makes sense to join forces with Koru as an innovator in education, especially with their founding programs and great employer partnerships in Washington State,” Washington State University President Elson S. Floyd said in a press release.

A partnership makes sense for Koru and WSU students. Out of the 31 students who graduated from the company’s June program in Seattle, 14 were eligible for jobs. Eight of those 14 pupils have already been hired, or 57 percent of the total eligible workforce. Overall, 70 percent of Koru graduates (not including those who just completed their program in July) have been placed in a job.

The company, which raised a $4.35 million funding round late last year from Maveron, Battery Ventures, First Round Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, already has 13 educational partners lined up.

WSU will be joining a group of institutions that includes Whitman College, Georgetown University, Pomona College, University of Southern California and Vassar College.

Koru will be starting up its first program in San Francisco right after Labor Day. People interested in taking part in Koru’s September program in Seattle have until August 11 to apply. Those who want to apply can do so here.

Google Street View - neat tool for virtual college campus tours for high schoolers

High schoolers that are making that big college decision may find Google’s Street View feature both fun and informing.

Google announced today that there are 36 new university campuses in the U.S. and Canada accessible via Street View. It’s a neat tool for those college-bound students interested in getting a feel for a place where they’ll spend the next few years at.

How To: Go to a campus on Google Maps; Click on the Pegman in the bottom right corner to access Street View imagery.

Source: Blomberg, Taylor Soper, 8/7/2014

Quest (Highly capable) program - Lake Washington extends to first 2 grades

New Services for Kindergarten and First Grade Highly Capable Students

Lake Washington extends services offered to first two grades

June 11, 2014

​Redmond, Wash. – During the 2014-15 school year, kindergarten and first grade students identified as highly capable will be eligible for services, due to changes in Washington State Law. During the first half of the year, highly capable kindergarten and 1st grade students will be identified. Those students who meet the criteria will receive services during the second semester of the 2014-15 school year.

 

These services extend the district’s highly capable programs that serve students from grades two through 12. Those programs will continue to serve students next year, with no changes.

 

Kindergarten students will be identified through a nomination and testing process. Parents may nominate their students through an online application during the normal Quest highly capable program application window, which is October 1 through 30. Students will be tested on a Saturday in the fall; the date will be announced by the start of the next school year. Those students who qualify will receive highly capable services in their home school during the second semester of the school year. They will continue to receive those services in their home school through first grade.

 

All students in first grade in Lake Washington elementary schools are tested in the fall to determine if they qualify for services as a highly capable student. That test has been the first step in identifying students who are placed in full-time and pull-out Quest in second grade. Starting next year, it will also be used to identify first grade students who will receive highly capable services in their home schools in second semester.

 

Parents of students who live in Lake Washington School District but attend private schools may also nominate their kindergarten and first grade students for testing. They will be able to nominate their students during the Quest application window, October 1 through 30.

 

More information concerning testing dates and services will be available on the district’s website in August.

 

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About Lake Washington: Lake Washington School District is a high-performing public school district serving Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish, Washington. It is the sixth largest district in the state of Washington, with over 26,000 students in 51 schools.