Gunn BEAM 2015 Kick-Off Event

IMPORTANT UPDATE: **Venue Change Due to High Demand**

The event has been moved to Mitchell Park Community Center.

On behalf of Henry M. Gunn High School, the City of Palo Alto and Silicon Valley Talent Partnership, we would like to invite you to join us as we kick off Gunn High School's first-ever Business, Entrepreneurship and Math program (Gunn BEAM). Come to learn more about Gunn BEAM, listen to behind-the-scene stories, meet with our students, teachers, and mentors.

Gunn BEAM is created through a unique public-private partnership. It strives to provide Henry M. Gunn High School students the opportunity to connect with the innovation community of Palo Alto, as well as teach students how mathematics applies in the real world through business applications. The program consists of both lecture and externship components and concludes with culminating projects presented and implemented in the city of Palo Alto by students. Local Palo Alto non-profits and small businesses are opening their doors to Gunn students to host them for their experiential learning. We would like to thank EY and PwC for creating customized curricula for this innovative program, as well as all our participating partners. This program would not be possible without their generous help and expertise.

AGENDA

6:50 - 7:00 p.m. Check In

7:00 - 7:40 p.m. Networking Reception

7:40 - 7:45 p.m. Welcome

Cristina Florea, Henry M. Gunn High School

7:45 - 8:00 p.m. Introductions of all participating partners

Thomas Fehrenbach, Economic Development Manager, City of Palo Alto

Lea King, Executive Direct, Silicon Valley Talent Partnership

Anne Andrews, Tax Partner, PwC

Sara Cois, Advisory Risk Assurance Staff, EY

8:00 - 8:15 p.m. Student Presentation

Jordana Siegel and Hayley Krolik, Henry M. Gunn High School

8:15 - 8:30 p.m. Program Overview

Cristina Florea

Joshua Selo, Associate Executive Director, Palo Alto Family YMCA

8:30 - 8:40 p.m. Q&A

8:40 - 8:45 p.m. Closing Remarks

The Story Behind Gunn BEAM

The journey started a few years ago, after Cristina Florea, a teacher at Gunn High School’s Mathematics Department, talked with students and parents and discovered that they wanted hands-on business experience and practical applications of mathematics. Having degrees in both Mathematics and Marketing, Cristina believed and related to the needs and wants of the Gunn Community. With the guidance from a former professor, Cristina launched the business club at Gunn High School during the 2014 – 2015 school year. The club started as weekly, half-hour lunch meetings, where students brought homemade brownies to share while voluntarily learning business concepts and applying them to help a Palo Alto non-profit organization. In a matter of weeks, the small team of ten students grew to almost fifty enthusiastic opportunists and invested workers. Following the overwhelmingly positive reponse from students, parents, and community members, Cristina decided to scale up this innovative model and elevate the success through a unique public-private partnership with the City of Palo Alto and Silicon Valley Talent Partnership.

To learn more about Gunn BEAM program, go to gunnbeam.weebly.com or connect to us on Twitter (@gunnBEAM) and Facebook (Gunn BEAM).

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