Petaluma High School's "The Downtown Project," coordinated by metals manufacturing teacher Dan Sunia, is this year's recipient of the Jack London Award for Educational Innovation. The award is given annually to an outstanding, innovative K-12 public school program.
In August 2003, the City of Petaluma's Redevelopment Agency came to the Petaluma City School District and requested that the Petaluma High School shop class make steel benches, bicycle and traffic bollards, and recycle/trash receptacles. The project was part of the Petaluma Streetwise Master Strategic Plan.
Petaluma High School shop instructor Dan Sunia stepped up to the challenge, and over the past four years has expanded the P.H.S. shop curriculum. Sunia began gathering a group of professionals, including an architect, structural engineer, welding professionals, design experts, iron shop owners, and a Santa Rosa Junior College instructor to develop the project.
In October 2003, the Petaluma City Schools Board of Education approved the bid proposal for street furnishings to be built by Sunia's Metals Manufacturing classes. Sunia followed strict national furnishing standards.
Once the Petaluma Community Development Commission approved the bid proposal in December 2003, Phase One of the project began. The first phase encompassed students using the AutoCAD software to build a digital prototype.
During the process film students documented their progress, and studio art students completed a chicken and egg design for various filials and bollards that were part of the designs. After several months of intense projection and prototype revision, the final product was approved and delivered to the city of Petaluma for installation and implementation in fall 2004.
After his first year of service to Petaluma High School, Sunia created a second shop class, Advanced Metals Manufacturing. Currently, The Downtown Project is in its third phase of production and has delivered eighty-five street benches, fifty-two bike and traffic bollards, and twenty-six recycle/trash receptacles.
Proceeds of the street furnishings have been reinvested into the Industrial Technology program, allowing for an additional two teaching sections of Metals and Construction Technology. Through Sunia's efforts, and hours of dedication, the Petaluma High School will receive an updated shop, which will conform to the latest industry regulations.
Sunia is currently applying for a $10,000 grant to purchase precision machine tools, and has been awarded $5,000 for a National Institute for Metalworking Skills course. Sunia will be teaching a NIMS Level 1 class.
Three other outstanding programs were also selected as finalists for this year's award:
After School Sports Program
Windsor Middle School
Windsor Unified School District
Coordinator: Loren Barker, Phil Callero
Program Goal: Opening the door for hundreds of students to get involved and reap all the benefits of participating on team sports by offering after school sports to every Windsor Middle School student.
La Escuelita
McDowell Elementary School
Petaluma City School District
Coordinator: Delia Tamayo
Program Goal: Case Grande students assist McDowell second language learners with their homework and at the same time are providing them with a positive role model.
3rd Grade Math Fair
Rincon Valley District
Rincon Valley Unified School District
Coordinator: Merritt Booster and Carol Newman
Program Goal: To provide interesting and creative ways of both developing the skills of highly able fifth and sixth graders and provide alternative ways to educate third graders in mathematics.
The Jack London Award for Educational Innovation is sponsored by the Sonoma State University School of Education, Sonoma State University Office of the President, Sonoma County Office of Education, California Faculty Association and Sonoma County Educators Council CTA/NEA.
For further information contact Mary Gendernalik-Cooper, Dean of the School of Education, (707) 664-2132.
ABOVE is Dan Sunia with Greta Viguie, superintendent of the Petaluma School District (left) and Mary Gendernalik-Cooper, Dean of the SSU School of Education.
