Summer Workers Improve Highland View Academy Campus, Community

The Highland View Academy (HVA) campus continues to be an active place, even during the summer as staff and students work on campus-improvement and service projects. Approximately 20 students are employed this summer, working in the administrative building, Adventist Book Center, cafeteria, maintenance department and for the ASSIST (Academy Student Service Initiative Stipend for Tuition) program.

Story by Lori Zerne, Highland View Academy

The ASSIST program brings high school students and senior citizens together in an intergenerational service program. HVA students visit with the residents of seven assisted living homes and four residential homes in Hagerstown. During one-hour visits each week, the students help residents with light chores and yard work, and they socialize with the seniors while sharing stories and working on crafts.

Sharon Zeismer, ASSIST coordinator, says, “We know we are making a difference in the lives of people when we are greeted by smiles and [are] anxiously looked for each week.” She adds that Southern Adventist University (Tenn.) funds the program, which provides students with a work scholarship toward their HVA school tuition.

Some of the work occurring on campus is also related to HVA’s growing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program as the school works toward becoming a leading STEM school. This summer Lisa Norton, information technology director, and junior Caleb Atherly are implementing the first phase of technology advancements to make this possible. In the new school year, students will have access to new Lenovo laptops during STEM-related classes.

The students will also notice an upgrade in some of the classrooms, as SMART boards are replaced with large-screen televisions. As Norton explains, “The new setup will enable teachers to remotely access the televisions with their new laptops, allowing them to teach from anywhere in the classroom.” Norton says these technological advancements tie in nicely with two new STEM classes, the LEGO robotics program and a pilot run of the new AP Computer Science Principles class.

Feature photo: Caleb Atherly (’17) assists with information technology upgrades taking place this summer.