What is Innovate High Desert?

The Innovate High Desert initiative brings our schools, community and businesses together to learn the skills and mindsets of innovation that are needed to drive economic growth in our region. Here are some things we’re doing:

• HDESD teachers of the visually impaired held their first Vision Day Camp in June for students who experience visual impairments. Activities included white-water rafting, kayaking, and tandem biking, and creating robot key chains. One student said, “The whole experience was a 10.”

• During the months of April and May, Migrant Education Program, CTE, Plaza Comunitaria, STEM and School Improvement partnered to serve migrant students and their families. The program reached out to Pre-K through 8th grade students.

• Hammers, saws and dust were present as twenty-four math and Career Technical Education (CTE) teachers worked together at Redmond High School. The goal was how to teach high school students geometry while building a play house. Participants were from Bend-La Pine, Redmond, Crook County, Mitchell, Jefferson, Salem-Keizer, Dayville, West Valley, and Walport school districts.

• Over 550 high school students attended the Central Oregon Skilled Trades Fair in Redmond with over 100 industry partners and community volunteers representing construction, engineering, hospitality, public works, and manufacturing to name a few.