Class notes

INNERSPARK provides high school aged artists the opportunity to study and work with professional artists, writers and performers of national stature. The 520 students chosen to participate will spend four weeks at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. Students who successfully complete the program will receive three units of California State University course credit.

The application deadline is Feb. 28. For more information visit www.innerspark.us or call (916) 274-5815.

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Students in Free Enterprise, known as SIFE, announced faculty members who were named Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellows for the 2005-2006 school year. Under the direction of Sam Walton Fellows, SIFE students develop projects in their communities that teach entrepreneurship, market economics, business ethics and personal financial success skills, then present their projects at SIFE Regional Competitions and Career Opportunity Fairs held around the country, leading to a national competition and ultimately the SIFE World Cup. Steve Robison, coordinator of student activities at the College of San Mateo, was named the winner.

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Carr, McClellan, Ingersoll, Thompson & Horn is donating 67 of its computers to students at Menlo-Atherton High School in Menlo Park and the Ravenswood Elementary School District in East Palo Alto. The computers are 3 to 5 years old and will be refurbished.

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The College of San Mateo will host a leadership conference on Feb. 11.

The "2006 CSM Service & Leadership Conference: Get Connected...Make a Difference” conference is designed for anyone interested in learning how to become more active in the community. Until Feb. 6 registration fees are $5 for college students and adults, $3 for high school student and $25 for groups 10 or more. Late registration is $10. The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 11, College of San Mateo, Building 5, 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd., San Mateo. For more information call Beverley Madden at 312-8786 or visit http://collegeofsanmateo.edu/studentactivities/slc.

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Notre Dame de Namur University received a $500,000 grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation to support the development of courses that use Geographic Information Systems as a learning tool. GIS is a techonology which analyzes, compares and integrates data from a geograhic perspective.

Class notes is a weekly column dedicated to school news. It is compiled by education reporter Heather Murtagh. You can contact her at (650) 344-5200, ext. 105 or at heather@smdailyjournal.com.

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