GIVING IMPACT REPORT
TO OUR ADVOCATES AND FRIENDS For more than twenty years, the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts has worked to assist districts and educators by providing appropriately challenging learning opportunities for talented and motivated young Arkansans through a combination of our residential program, distance learning initiatives and outreach programs meant to engage and inspire. In addition to advanced coursework, research experiences and interdisciplinary learning, ASMSA’s residential program cultivates the entire student. Of our 2,229 alumni, we take pride in their leadership in business, industry, education, medicine, law, agriculture and a host of other fields; however, we are exceptionally proud of those who carry forward the state’s investment in their growth and maturation as the next generation of leaders increasing the quality of life in our state. ASMSA students demonstrate a clear passion and care for others. Drawing inspiration from your support of this institution, ASMSA wishes to invest in young adults who are ready to make an immediate impact while developing their capacity for service and leadership. Beyond the residential experience, hundreds of Arkansas middle and high school students benefit annually from our digital learning courses in STEM and global languages as well as outreach programs meant to inspire students to explore science, math and the arts. Stewards like you continue to invest time, energy, passion and resources in realizing a vision of exceptional opportunities for many of our state’s most promising young minds. Your leadership in this regard has helped establish a strong foundation for success that has led to ASMSA being recognized nationally for its quality program and clear commitment to equity in access to opportunities. I hope you will enjoy this celebration of our friends and supporters as well as an account of what your generosity has made possible over the past year. Together, we will continue to build on the past successes of ASMSA while ensuring our school remains a leader in educational opportunities.
Corey Alderdice Director
I want to personally thank each and every one of our alumni, parents, grandparents and friends who gave more than $278,000 in gifts to the ASMSA Foundation Fund during the July 1, 2015, thorugh June 30, 20126 fiscal year. Your support allows the Foundation to continue its mission to develop and manage resources to enhance the work of ASMSA. Thanks to your generosity, the Foundation and ASMSA were able to assist students with financial needs; support enrichment activities for middle school students; offer science, engineering and arts programs on and off campus as well as host ongoing events such as the Community of Learning Luncheon, public lectures and the annual golf classic. This fund, aimed at enhancing educational opportunities for all students across Arkansas, has proven to be an invaluable resource. Special thanks are also in order for our Foundation Fund Board of Ambassadors who assist ASMSA by leading, raising awareness, volunteering and committing financially to the Foundation. Finally, my favorite role as director of institutional advancement is working with the incredibly talented seniors who serve as ASMSA Student Ambassadors and the voice of the ASMSA experience to a wide array of external audiences and stakeholders. Friends like you are making an investment in this transformative educational experience and our future leaders. You make it possible. You make a difference.
Vicki Hinz
Director of Institutional Advancement
UA FOUNDATION BOARD
Copeland fills important seat for ASMSA The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts and the ASMSA Foundation Fund has been granted full membership on The University of Arkansas Foundation, Inc., Board of Directors.
important for them to be aware that ASMSA is here and what ASMSA is doing. We’re unique and need to get as much presence as possible, particularly with this group of people.”
The UA Foundation is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to advance higher education by securing private financial support for all units and activities of the University of Arkansas System. It manages and invests assets gained through gifts, donations or grants for each campus or organization in the system.
In the past three years, the ASMSA Foundation Fund has seen a large growth in giving in the form of endowments, fellowships and grants At the end of fiscal year 2012-13, the fund had an ending balance of $92,705. For fiscal year 201415, the end balance was $361,980. For fiscal year 2015-16, the end balance was $467,005.
ASMSA previously held an advisory spot on the foundation board, but the school was granted full membership in December. The foundation board changed its bylaws to give each system member at least one voting member on the board. Ed Copeland of Hot Springs, a member of the ASMSA Foundation Fund Board of Ambassadors, has served as ASMSA’s representative to the foundation board since 2013. Copeland will continue to serve in that capacity through December 2017. Copeland said it is important for several reasons that ASMSA has a full spot on the foundation board. Ed Copeland Chief among them is that it provides ASMSA the opportunity to share its vision and accomplishments with members of the board, others who serve on the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees and other system schools across the state. “People on this foundation board are some key people in the university system,” Copeland said. “Some of them are trustees or are former trustees. It’s
Revenue has seen a year-to-year increase since the end of fiscal year 2011-12. At the end of that fiscal year, revenue was $60,436. Revenue grew to more than $259,000 for fiscal year 2014-15. The trend continued for the 2015-16 fiscal year with revenues totaling $278,816. Much of that growth is thanks to endowments and grants targeting new programs and learning spaces that benefit students. Grants have helped establish new learning spaces on campus, including a new art studio and a Maker Space. Grants also allowed the school to expand its global language offerings, including expanded Mandarin Chinese courses and the establishment of a Japanese language partnership with the Hot Springs Lakeside School District. Endowments honoring former faculty and staff members have been established to provide awards and support for students as well as to provide student summer research and service opportunities. “Through the efforts of our staff and Ambassadors, the ASMSA Foundation has experienced exceptional growth over the last few years,” said ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice. “Recognition of these efforts through a permanent seat on the University of Arkansas Foundation Board
is a testament to those accomplishments and the unique role ASMSA plays among its peers within the University of Arkansas System.” Each institution reports its latest projects and achievements at each University of Arkansas Foundation board meeting. It’s beneficial for ASMSA to gain new perspectives on fundraising techniques and endowments through those reports in order to continue growing its own fundraising efforts, Copeland said. “We can see how the other [institutions] operate. We’re kind of new to this game, I think. We can learn how other successful development officials operate. We don’t have to reinvent things,” Copeland said. The Board of Directors includes members from institutions and organizations from across the state. That gives ASMSA a unique opportunity to spread the message about the school to people in various regions of the state. “[ASMSA] is a statewide institution,” Copeland said. “It is an opportunity to make people more aware that it is a state asset. It gives students from all over the state a chance to get an education that may not be offered where they live.” Copeland and his wife, Charleen, have served on the ASMSA Foundation Fund Board of Ambassadors since it was created in 2013. “We are so fortunate to have Ed and Charleen Copeland as advocates for ASMSA,” said Vicki Hinz, ASMSA director of institutional advancement. “They are both perfect examples of everything we are looking for as board members. They continue to invest their time, energy, passion and resources in realizing a vision of exceptional opportunities for many of our state’s most promising young minds. I wish I could clone them both.
YOUR GIFTS FY16 Financials ASMSA Foundation Fund Revenue The ASMSA Foundation Fund Revenue for 2015-2016 (Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2016)
FY 14
FY 16
FY 15
Alumni
$14,438
10.20%
$14,326
5.20%
$56,891
20.40%
Business/Corporate
$20,500
15.50%
$29,180
11.20%
$52,691
18.90%
$9,070
6.40%
$5,895
2.30%
$8,459
3.00%
Foundation/Grant
$28,224
20.00%
$127,902
49.40%
$97,145
34.80%
Individual
$61,974
44.10%
$73,163
28.20%
$58,249
21.00%
$6,693
4.80%
$8,627
3.40%
$5,381
1.90%
100.00%
$259,093
100.00%
Employee
Investment Income
$140,899
$278,816
100.00%
FY16 Financials ASMSA Foundation Fund Expenses The ASMSA Foundation Fund Expenses for 2015-2016 (Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2016)
FY 14 Academic Support
FY 16
FY 15
$17,027
41.10%
$22,612
25.30%
$93,780
54.00%
$0
0.00%
$15,000
16.80%
$34,353
19.80%
$11,043
26.80%
$22,652
25.40%
$25,077
14.40%
Operating
$3,172
7.60%
$3,494
3.90%
$2,958
1.70%
Public Relations
$3,736
9.00%
$14,558
16.30%
$3,881
9.00%
Residential Student Support
$1,001
2.40%
$2,447
2.70%
$2,474
1.40%
Scholarship/Award/Endowment $2,000
4.80%
$2,519
2.80%
$1,812
1.00%
$0
0.00%
$5,458
6.10%
$8,933
5.10%
$3,420
8.30%
$578
0.07%
$523
0.04%
$41,399
100.00%
$89,318
100.00%
Building/Construction Fundraising/Event
Residential Student Excellence Other
FY 14 Balance Sheet Beginning Balance
$173,791
ASMSA Foundation Balance Sheets
$92,705
FY 15 Balance Sheet
Beginning Balance
$192,205
100.00%
FY 16 Balance Sheet
Beginning Balance
$361,980
Income $140,899
Income $259,093
Income $278,816
Expenses
Expenses
Expenses $173,791
End Balance
$41,399 $192,205
End Balance
$89,318 $361,980
End Balance
$467,005
EXPANDED ARTS PROGRAM
Grant provides new learning opportunities The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts is expanding its arts education opportunities thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Windgate Charitable Foundation. The grant will allow ASMSA to offer additional outreach programs for prospective students, unique camp experiences and expanded residential courses that include visits to regional art museums, study abroad and a unique crafting class. The Windgate Charitable Foundation supports arts education programs, K-12 school improvement programs, higher education initiatives as well as some social service programs. The foundation is based in Siloam Springs and was founded in 1993. ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice said these new opportunities will underscore the kind of unique experiences available in an environment such as ASMSA while leveraging its specialized approach to interdisciplinary learning. “Over a decade ago, the Arkansas General Assembly challenged ASMSA to include the arts as a core component of its mission. Though support from the state has been limited to achieve that vision, we have made it an institutional priority to ensure talented students in the arts and humanities find an engaging program of study at ASMSA. The Windgate grant ensures we are able to better identify talented students in these subjects while providing them with the kind of dynamic opportunities that are synonymous with ASMSA.” To achieve its goals, ASMSA will use the grant to increase arts education opportunities in three components. The first is by offering additional outreach events that provide prospective students and their parents with greater
Participants in the Summer Arts Bridge Studio Arts camp learn painting techniques. The weeklong camp provided campers the opportunity to study various studio art techniques. The camp was one program offered through a grant from the Windgate Charitable Foundation. opportunities to learn about the school. Those include a combination of outreach events, Saturday enrichment activities and focused summer bridge programs. Chief among those is the ASMSA Summer Arts Bridge. Students from across the state had the chance to spend a week on ASMSA’s campus in June while attending an arts education-based camp, meeting other students who share their passion for the subject, and connecting with current ASMSA faculty and staff. One camp, led by ASMSA art instructor Brad Wreyford, focused on studio art. Students engaged in different processes including oil painting, observational drawing, collage, abstract design, basic woodshop skills and art criticism. Afterhours activities included art-based movie nights, T-shirt designing and performing arts. Students also interacted with
professional artists and current ASMSA seniors. ASMSA instructors James Katowich and Dr. Brian Monson led the Folk Music camp. Folk Music offered students a chance to learn to play and perform folk songs, build a working four-string guitar and explore the physics behind the production of sound and music. No previous experience or musical training was required. Students attended the weeklong residential camps in the Summer Arts Bridge program at no cost thanks to the Windgate grant. The second component is the development of novel and innovative elective courses available only at ASMSA. The core idea of the new courses is that art must be experienced as both
Multimedia designer Paul Callahan demonstrates a wood-cutting method for ASMSA art students during a demonstration in May. Callahan was a visiting artist for two days at ASMSA — teaching classes, demonstrating work and holding a public lecture during his visit. He was one of several artists to visit campus through a grant from the Windgate Charitable Foundation. a student of the concepts as well as a practitioner of the craft. The Regional Art Survey course includes travel, instruction and creation. Extended trips to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex as well as daytrips to Eureka Springs, Little Rock and Memphis will provide opportunities to experience and reflect on the mid-South’s distinct styles and acclaimed artists. Each trip will include a hands-on experience. ASMSA will also add new layers to existing study abroad opportunities through its Global Learning Program. Renaissance Art and Architecture in Context, which was held this spring, and Ancient Greek Art and Architecture in spring 2017 includes a 10day trip to Italy and Greece where students are be able to gain some context to the class-based lessons. Modern Design and Craft, the final additional course, will leverage ASMSA’s advanced STEM opportunities by bringing design thinking and craft into the curriculum. The class will focus on the design and creation of functional
craft and furniture. Students will use tools such as 3D printers, CNC mills, and laser cutters alongside traditional woodshop resources for a digital design and practical craft experience.
fabrication techniques, visited the campus in May.
“We are most excited about this class as an opportunity to better engage our STEM students on artistic principles and see it as a tremendous way to make use of ASMSA’s new Maker Space classroom and woodshop,” Alderdice said.
“It is no coincidence that for the first time in the history of our institution all of our art courses are operating at their full capacity,” Wreyford said. “There is a direct correlation between the investment made by the Windgate Foundation and the creative interest and success of our students.
The third component of the grant will bring two local artists on campus for a three-day workshop. The visits will include a public lecture, multiple demonstrations, small group critiques and displays of the artists’ works in our gallery. The workshops will provide students greater opportunities to engage with Hot Springs’ thriving community of local artists. Two artists visits were also held on campus this spring. Aaron Collie, a professor of painting and drawing at Tulane University in New Orleans, visited the campus in April. Paul Callahan, a multimedia designer working in both traditional hand methods and digital
Wreyford said the added emphasis to the arts program is already showing results.
“The expansion of our tool and media budget is allowing for more hands-on experiences in processes otherwise out of reach for most students. Woodworking and digital fabrication processes will soon become a standard in their creative repertoire. The travel grant has aided in the expansion of their visual experiences into other cultures and monuments of artistic and historical significance. We are very grateful for this investment in the students of Arkansas. Undoubtedly, the current recipients of these benefits and future generations of Arkansans will reap the benefits.”
COMMUNITY OF LEARNING LUNCHEON
Family announces $50K gift in alumnus’ memory Future Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students will have the opportunity to “make a dent in the universe” thanks to a $50,000 gift from the Dan Fredinburg Foundation. Members of Fredinburg’s family announced the gift during the ASMSA Community of Learning Luncheon held April 1 at the Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa. The gift will support the Creativity and Innovation Complex, a new educational facility to be built on campus. The new facility will provide spaces that allow ASMSA to embrace its fine and digital arts mission, facilitate advanced opportunities in computer science, cultivate entrepreneurial and “maker” skills among students, and provide community and common spaces for students that will promote academic success. Fredinburg, a 1999 alumnus of ASMSA, grew up on a small farm in Norfork in Baxter County. At that time, the town in north central Arkansas had a population of just more than 500 residents. Upon graduating from ASMSA, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine, a master’s degree in intelligent robotics from the University of Southern California and participated in graduate programs at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. As an adult, he would become a world traveler — climbing Mount Everest as well as several of the world’s highest peaks — and sought ways to improve living conditions and address climate issues around the globe. While on a climb of Everest, Fredinburg died during an avalanche triggered by a magnitude-7.8 earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015.
Dan Fredinburg, who grew up on a small farm in Norfork in Baxter County, graduated from ASMSA in 1999. He would go on to become the head of privacy at Google’s research and development facility and found the Google Adventure Team to capture images from his climbs of the world’s highest summits. Fredinburg died in 2015 while on a climb of Mount Everest.
remains a global leader in innovation. “Our hope for you is that you chase your wildest dreams and as Dan says, ‘Make a dent in the universe.’” ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice expressed the school’s appreciation for the gift. “Families place a tremendous level of trust and support in ASMSA when students choose to attend the school,” he said. “To recognize that transformational nature of this experience nearly two decades later and to want to ensure hundreds of other Arkansas students have that same opportunity is truly remarkable.” Several members of Dan Fredinburg’s family as well as friends and coworkers attended the 2016 Community of Learning Luncheon. Among them was his sister Tricia Curreri, who announced the Dan Fredinburg Foundation’s gift to ASMSA. She encouraged those in attendance to follow Fredinburg’s example and ‘Make a dent in the universe.’ He was the head of privacy at Google X at the time of his death. Google X is a research and development facility created by the well-known technology corporation Google. Among the projects developed by Google X are a self-driving car and Google Glass. Fredinburg invented and patented more than 15 software technologies and still has eight more patents currently pending approval. Fredinburg also founded the Google Adventure Team to capture images for Google Street View from his climbs of the world’s highest summits and other trips around the world. He topped four of the Seven Summits — the highest mountains on each of the seven continents — including Mount Elbrus in Europe, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and Aconcagua in South America. Tricia Curreri and Megan Ezell, Fredinburg’s sisters, announced the foundation’s gift during the luncheon. Curreri said the gift will support the Creativity and Innovation Complex. Inspired by the Fredinburg Foundation’s gift, more than $100,000 has been raised toward the complex. One floor will include the Fredinburg
Technology Center, which will contain the makerspace, robotics lab, computer science classrooms and campus networks office. “We believe this donation offers a farreaching investment in the future of the state of Arkansas with the potential for global impact,” Curreri said. She said that ASMSA played a large role in Fredinburg’s future success. “We attribute his many achievements to the challenging curriculum he had here at ASMSA. It is without a doubt the springboard and foundation of his career,” she said. Curreri encouraged those in attendance to support ASMSA. “Your support today will ensure the current generation of ASMSA students enjoy even greater opportunities to make a noticeable change in the world,” she said. “I hope that you are inspired by both Dan’s story and those of the ASMSA students you have met today. Let that inspiration carry forward with your own show of support and ensure ASMSA
Nirdhar Khazanie, one of Fredinburg’s coworkers at Google and a close friend, served as the keynote speaker for the luncheon. Khazanie is a product manager at Google. He said Fredinburg always strived to make sure individuals had the ability to move forward. “Strive for moonshot ideas,” Khazanie said. “If you’re going to do anything, do it and do it big. Put a dent in the universe if you’re going to do it.” The luncheon also featured remarks by Dr. Johnnie Roebuck of Arkadelphia, a longtime educator, former state representative and member of the founding Board of Trustees of the school. Roebuck spoke about the time and effort of those early Board of Trustees members that helped make ASMSA a success. Without their work, the school we know today wouldn’t exist, she said. She encouraged those in attendance to support ASMSA, the Creativity and Innovation Complex project as well as the school’s students and faculty. “Use the momentum of the Fredinburg Foundation’s gift and the excitement for this project to ensure ASMSA students have access to spaces, equipment and technologies that promote a standard of learning second to none,” she said.
STUDENT-BASED ASSISTANCE
Dr. Johnnie Roebuck, left, was a member of the original Board of Trustees who guided the operation of the Arkansas School for Mathematics and Sciences, as ASMSA was known then. She, along with several other previous board members and friends of the school, helped create the ASMSA Trustees Service Fellowship, which provides a rising senior the opportunity to conduct a service project in their hometown. Pictured with Roebuck is Claudia Vestal (‘17), the first recipient of the fellowship, and former trustees Dr. Beverly Lyn-Cook and Ella Reese.
Endowed fellowships focus on research, service Three student-based fellowships were established during the 2015-16 fiscal year, providing students opportunities to conduct summer research and service projects.
community in Arkansas. The selected student receives a grant through the fellowship to conduct their project.
The ASMSA Computer Science Summer Research Fellowship and the Murphy USA Summer Research Fellowship encouraged rising seniors to participate in research projects to enter in national competitions. Participants were provided grants through the fellowships to conduct their research.
The fellowship is named in honor of the visionaries who first served as a guiding entity for the school. In 1995, the Arkansas General Assembly established a Board of Trustees to oversee the polices and administration of the school.
The ASMSA Trustees’ Service Fellowship provides a rising senior the opportunity to conduct a summer service learning project that benefits their home
ASMSA Trustees’ Service Fellowship
Dr. Johnnie Roebuck, a longtime public school educator and state representative from Arkadelphia, was among the first seven trustees appointed to the board. Roebuck and other former trustees wanted to do something for the
school that would honor the work and commitment of those early trustees who built the foundation of the school. Vicki Hinz, ASMSA director of institutional advancement, and ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice suggested creating an endowment that would directly benefit students, Roebuck said. “Instead of a traditional scholarship, we wanted to create a way for students to give back to their home communities through service,” Roebuck said. “We are hopeful this fellowship will continue to attract donors and students will consider it a great honor to be selected as recipients.” The ASMSA Trustees’ Service Fellowship will be awarded to a rising senior each year. The student selected for the fellowship will
Nick Nehas (‘17) gives a ‘thumbs up’ sign while snorkeling off the coast of Belize during a summer research trip. Nehas’ trip was made possible in part through the Murphy USA Summer Research Fellowship. He and fellow senior Will Duke, who also received the fellowship, studied the health of the Coral Gardens reef off the Belize coast. The pair were named Siemens Competition regional finalists and national semifinalists. receive a $600 grant toward their service project. The project must be completed during the summer between their junior and senior year at ASMSA. The student will give a public presentation on their project during their senior year. Claudia Vestal, a senior from Jonesboro, was selected as the first recipient of the fellowship. Vestal chose a project was centered on healthy eating and how to make it accessible and easy to all people. The idea ties into her FIRM project which covers the difference between organic and conventional produce. Vestal presented three programs during the summer in her community. One session was held as a back-to-school event at the Jonesboro Public Library. A second session was held for a prekindergarten and kindergarten class at a Jonesboro school. She also held daily sessions during a weeklong camp for pre-kindergarten to fifth grade students.
She provided a healthy snack at each session, talking about why it was healthy and how to make other easy and healthy snacks. Vestal said she felt her sessions were successful, particularly at the camp. She made smoothies for the participants on the first and last day of camp. She told the participants that could have seconds of the smoothies if they were brave and tried a “secret ingredient” in their smoothie. The ingredient was spinach, which provides lots of healthy minerals. “One girl came up to me and said the next time she gets a smoothie she was going to ask for them to put spinach in it,” Vestal said. Murphy USA Summer Research Fellowship The fellowship was created through a gift from David Boerwinkle of El Dorado
and a matching gift from his employer, Murphy USA. The fellowship provides a $600 grant to a rising senior who has demonstrated exceptional achievements both in and beyond the classroom. The selected student must commit to entering either the Siemens Competition in Mathematics, Science and Technology or the Regeneron Science Talent Search and agree to return to ASMSA for the entirety of their senior year at ASMSA. Two students were selected for the inaugural grant in the first year. Nick Hehas of North Little Rock and Will Duke of Pine Bluff submitted a team project to study the degradation of coral reefs in Belize with video transects. Their research studied the health of the Coral Gardens reef in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Belize. The students conducted their initial video research during an ASMSA Global Learning Program trip this summer to the
Nick Nehas (‘17) and Will Duke (‘17) were the recipients of the Murphy USA Summer Research Fellowship. Martin Boerwinkle (‘17) received the ASMSA Computer Science Summer Research Fellowship. Tropical Marine Research and Education Center in San Pedro, Belize. The trip was coordinated in cooperation with a group of undergraduate students from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. Students studied several days at the marine center learning about the coral reefs that populate the Caribbean Sea before the spending several days snorkeling to study the reefs. Duke and Nehas decided during the spring semester that they would study the health of the reefs for their FIRM project. Nehas and Duke were named Siemens Competition semifinalists and regional finalists in October 2016. It was the first time in ASMSA history that a student received the region finalist designation. Regional finalists compete for a spot in the competition’s national finals. Nehas and Duke said they each used the fellowship to go toward the cost of making the trip. ASMSA Computer Science Summer Research Fellowship The fellowship was established through
gifts to the Coding Arkansas’ Future initiative. The initiative was announced during the 2015 Community of Learning Luncheon. The fellowship provides a $600 grant to a rising senior who has demonstrated exceptional achievements both in and beyond the classroom. Martin Boerwinkle of El Dorado was selected as the first recipient of the fellowship. The goal of Boerwinkle’s project was to increase the strength of 3D-printed objects while conserving material through the development of a new infill.
“It would have been impossible to set the parameters without a 3D printer,” Boerwinkle said. “Some of the projects looked good on the computer but not when I started printing them. I was able to tune the infill to work properly.” Boerwinkle reached out to the developers of Cura to gauge interest in his work. After seeing his work and its results, they agreed it would be an advantageous addition to the application. He is working with developers to “polish” the project before it is released.
A vast number of fields — such as prototyping, do-it-yourself manufacturing and medicine — use 3D printing. Improving the strength to weight ratio of 3D-printed pieces would be useful for a wide range of the public.
Boerwinkle entered the project into the Siemens Competition and planned to use it for his Fundamentals in Research Methods (FIRM) project. He said without the fellowship grant he received that his project would not have been as far along as it is.
Boerwinkle conducted trials of compressive and impact strength in relation to mass. He built the program as an extension of an open-source 3D-printing application called Cura. He used the grant he received to purchase a 3D printer that would allow him to test his program.
“So without the fellowship, honestly, it would not have been completed until the end of the year. I wouldn’t have been able to get it done in time so that all these other people could use it. I wouldn’t have the finished, fleshed-out project I have now,” he said.
PROJECT HELIX
Computer donation benefits Delta students Students from low-income families who are potential candidates for admission to the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts received a highquality, refurbished computer donated by the Arkansas Capital Corporation Group (ACC) of Little Rock. ASMSA received a grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to develop Project HELIX, a two-week, residential summer camp located on the school’s campus in historic downtown Hot Springs. The no-cost program is designed to bring together some of the state’s most promising young minds who are interested in connecting with peers, exploring educational opportunities and growing as learners. About 35 students from Arkansas’ Delta region were members of the first cohort of Project HELIX in July 2015. ASMSA admissions staff and counselors are continued to work with these students to support them as they explored ASMSA, prepared for the ACT in December and moved forward on the path to college readiness. A second cohort attended a camp during the summer of 2016. The 60 computers were from the “Computers 4 Kids” initiative that was part of the Connect Arkansas broadband education program, a project of ACC that ended June 30, 2015. The goal of Computers 4 Kids was to provide families with students on free- or reduced-lunch programs with the technology needed for required computer-based homework and other education assignments. “Technology is both an essential and transformational tool for learning. The computers for our Project HELIX students will ensure they have access to the resources necessary for the program at a
The Arkansas Capital Corporation Group of Little Rock donated 60 computers to ASMSA to give to students from Arkansas’s Delta region. The computers were from the ‘Computers 4 Kids’ initiative that was part of the Connect Arkansas broadband education program, a project of Arkansas Capital Corporation Group. greater convenience to their families,” said Corey Alderdice, ASMSA’s director. Alderdice, who authored the school’s proposal for the Cooke Foundation, noted ASMSA has an exceptional track record in promoting access for low-income students to the school’s residential program. “One-in-three students attending ASMSA come from low-income backgrounds,” Alderdice said. “Such representation is the highest among the 16 public residential schools of mathematics, science and technology and double the national average.” ASMSA was chosen from a pool of more than 100 of the nation’s selective admissions public high schools invited by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to propose new or expanded programs that prepare academically talented, low-
income students to gain admission to and graduate from these top schools. Combined, the grants will benefit more than 1,500 students in grades 6-12. “We have been very pleased with the success of Connect Arkansas’s Computers 4 Kids program, and it was fitting that we are able to equip Project HELIX students for educational success with one of our final computer donations,” said Sam Walls III, President of ACC and [Connect Arkansas]. Arkansas Capital Corporation Group is a family of nonprofit economic development companies providing loans, investment capital and entrepreneurship education to grow and revitalize Arkansas’s economy. ACCG has a mission to foster economic development and focuses on underserved communities and businesses within Arkansas.
EXPANDED LANGUAGE OPPORTUNITIES
ASMSA 1st in state to offer Japanese instruction The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts and the Lakeside School District are offering their students a unique opportunity — the ability to study Japanese from a native speaker. An educator is teaching Japanese language and culture to students at ASMSA as well as Lakeside High School and third-graders at Lakeside Intermediate School. The program is the only Japanese foreign language exchange program of its kind in Arkansas. ASMSA and Lakeside received a $30,000 grant from The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles to provide Japanese language instruction to the students. The program includes a Japanese class at ASMSA three days per week, a class each day at Lakeside High School as well as working with third-graders at the intermediate school three afternoons a week.
Aozora Ishizaki (center) works with students during a Japanese language course during the spring 2015 semester. ASMSA in partnership with Lakeside School District were the first schools to offer Japanese language instruction in the state. The program was made possible through a grant from The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles.
The schools developed the partnership for the program after administrators from both schools made trips to Japan through various exchange programs. ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice and a group of ASMSA students visited Japan as part of the Kakehashi Project through the Japan Foundation in 2013. Alderdice also has had the opportunity to travel to Japan through the Hot Springs Sister City program.
Alderdice said it was during the Kakehashi Project trip that ASMSA students demonstrated a passion for the pursuit of learning Japanese language and culture. He said it was evident that the school should support that passion.
Bruce Orr, assistant superintendent of the Lakeside district, traveled to Hanamaki through the Hot Springs Sister City Foundation Teacher Scholarship Program. Both schools have hosted groups of Japanese students through the Hot Springs Sister City program and other cultural exchange programs. The educators began to discuss how to build upon the current program. Alderdice coordinated the grant application through the Japan
Foundation. The grant helps cover the first-year expenses of the program.
The school already had established the Global Languages and Shared Societies (GLASS) Initiative, which provided Mandarin Chinese language and culture instruction to ASMSA students as well as students in the Hot Springs School District and others across the state. Adding Japanese instruction was a natural fit for the initiative, Alderdice said. “The opportunity to explore a language and engage with another culture is both transformational and a reflective experience,” Alderdice said. “There’s a reason why the acronym for our effort
spells GLASS. Panes of glass and windows allow us the opportunities to see beyond our own spaces and confines. They remind us that a broader world is but millimeters away. “In the right light, they are reflective surfaces that allow us see ourselves and our culture while simultaneously considering others. This evening is but the beginning of what I hope is a great program and a great partnership.” The Japan Foundation is dedicated to carrying out comprehensive international cultural exchange programs throughout the world. Its various activities and information services create opportunities for people-to-people interactions. It was established in October 1972 with the objective of promoting international cultural exchange through a comprehensive range of programs around the world. The Japan Foundation is the parent foundation for The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles.
GLOBAL LEARNING
Confucius grant establishes Chinese classroom The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts will have a classroom dedicated to Chinese language and culture thanks to a grant from the Confucius Institute. The five-year, $50,000 grant will allow ASMSA to develop a Confucius Classroom for on-campus instruction, out-of-school enrichment and distance education classes. The classroom also will serve as a venue for the community to interact with ASMSA’s Chinese instructors during special events such as forums on China-related topics and Chinese culture classes. ASMSA received a plaque recognizing the creation of the classroom during a ceremony Feb. 5 at the Confucius Institute for Arkansas at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. Hot Springs High School also received a grant to establish a Confucius Classroom on its campus. The UCA Confucius Institute for Arkansas was established in 2007 with East China Normal University in Shanghai, one of China’s most prestigious institutions of
higher learning, as its partner university, according to its website. The mission of the institute is to strengthen the ties between the state of Arkansas and the People’s Republic of China, enhancing the mutual understanding of each respective culture while promoting Chinese language and culture in the state. ASMSA has provided Chinese instruction through its outreach and digital learning initiatives in cooperation with the Confucius Institute since 2010 as part of the Teach Chinese in Arkansas initiative. Courses were first offered to the residential students in 2013. During this time, ASMSA has hosted three Chinese teachers. “We are extraordinarily excited to be the one of the first recipients of a grant for a Confucius Classroom,” said David Slaymaker, ASMSA assistant dean for outreach. “ASMSA is in its fifth year of offering Chinese instruction both on campus and in partnership with local school districts. Having the classroom will add another dimension to our Chinese program, creating a venue to enhance the educational experience of our students and bring both local
students and members of the Hot Springs community to campus to learn about the Chinese language and culture.” Participation in the Confucius Classroom program will provide an additional layer of depth to the school’s Global Languages and Shared Societies (GLASS) Initiative. The partnership has also expanded avenues for study abroad under ASMSA’s global learning program. ASMSA students have built on their classroom instruction through summer language immersion opportunities sponsored by the Confucius Institute and National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). The initial grant funds will be spent to set up the classroom. An opening ceremony and a Spring Festival also will be held during the first year of the classroom’s operation. ASMSA will also use the classroom to provide professional development for Arkansas history, social studies, foreign language and other interested teachers seeking to enrich their own classes through Chinese language and culture instruction.
ARKANSAS FALL GOLF CLASSIC
Single-day giving record set during ArkansasGives ASMSA set a school record for singleday giving during the ArkansasGives event in April. ArkansasGives is a 12hour online giving event sponsored by the Arkansas Community Foundation to encourage support for Arkansas nonprofit and charitable organizations.
The 2015-16 ASMSA Student Ambassadors pose for a photo with members of Garland County’s state congressional delegation before the second annual Arkansas Fall Golf Classic in September 2015.
Fall golf tourney a success
ASMSA raised more than $38,000 at the second annual Arkansas Fall Golf Classic in September 2015. The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce hosted the event at the Hot Springs Country Club to benefit ASMSA and the ASMSA Foundation Fund. The event featured 36 teams playing in a fourperson scramble. Golfers were eligible to compete for dozens of prizes in various contests, including the opportunity to win a vehicle on hole-in-one contests on two holes. Several area businesses served as hole sponsors for the event, providing golfers the opportunity to play games for prizes, receive a massage and eat some delicious free food. CHI St. Vincent was the presenting sponsor. Other sponsors included The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, Arkansas Midland Railroad, Riser Ford Lincoln, Allen Tillery Chevrolet Buick Pontiac GMC, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Southern Bancorp, Hot Springs Title, Greeson’s, AlliedBarton Security Services, AmeriServe, Inc., Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects, B&F Engineering, Hill
& Cox Corporation, Tim Parker Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Ameriprise Financial, National Park Medical Center, Relyance Bank, Martin Marietta Materials, Bear State Bank, Citizens Bank, Coca-Cola, Arkansas Beverage Sales, O’Connor Distributing, Oaklawn Racing & Gaming, First Security Bank, Gehrki Commercial Real Estate, Entergy Arkansas, Seiz Sign Company and Mid-America Science Museum. Vicki Hinz, ASMSA director of institutional advancement, praised the Chamber and sponsors for a successful tournament. “We are so grateful to The Greater Hot Springs Chamber for hosting the annual Arkansas Fall Golf Classic, CHI St. Vincent for sponsoring the event and all the other businesses from across Arkansas for their sponsorships and participation,” Hinz said. “Hot Springs Country Club provides a firstclass experience that is enhanced by interactive networking activities at each tee box. This is a great way to spread the word about ASMSA.”
ASMSA received $23,265.74 in gifts during the event. Fundraising efforts for ASMSA were boosted by Dorothy Morris of Hot Springs, a member of the ASMSA Foundation Board of Ambassadors. Morris helped raise more $300,000 for Garland County nonprofit organizations, including ASMSA. Don Munro, who is also a member of the Foundation Board of Ambassadors, supported the effort along with many other community leaders from across Arkansas. Morris hosted a gathering at her home throughout the day. ASMSA Student Ambassadors spent time at the gathering visiting with donors and sharing their experiences at ASMSA and future college plans. “Through the support of our alumni, parents and friends, ASMSA raised $23,000 in the 12-hour period,” said Vicki Hinz, ASMSA director of institutional advancement. “This incredible support allows the Foundation to continue its mission to develop and manage resources to enhance the work of ASMSA. Our supporters continue to make an investment in this transformative educational experience and our future leaders.” ASMSA raised the ninth-highest total across all Arkansas organizations in the Small Nonprofits category. The next ArkansasGives Day is scheduled for April 6, 2017. For more information, visit arkansasgives.org.
FRIENDS OF ASMSA Founder’s Society ($50,000+) Dan Fredinburg Foundation
Director’s Council ($25,000+) The Japan Foundation of Los Angeles Windgate Charitable Foundation
Dean’s Council ($10,000+) Confucius Institute West Central Arkansas Planning & Development District, Inc.
Chair’s Council ($5,000+)
CHI St. Vincent Morris Foundation Murphy Oil USA, Inc. Hons. Drs. Johnnie and Tommy Roebuck Walton Family Foundation (Arvest Bank)
Society of ‘93 ($1,993+)
Corey and Stephanie Alderdice Arkansas Community Foundation Millard and Theda Aud (Olds Foundation) David and Robin Boerwinkle Ed and Charleen Copeland James N. Elmore First Security Bank Henry (Ty) Graham Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Bob and Denise Gregory Kirby & Co. Thomas P. Miller & Associates Molex Inc. Don and Barbara Munro (Munro Foundation) Justin Oliver (Google) Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects David E. Pruitt Family Relyance Bank Weyerhaeuser Company Bryan White
Visionaries Circle ($1,000+)
Ameriprise Financial Services - John P. Hoefl Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. Arvest Bank Bear State Bank Sophia Bush Al and Betty Kate Carney Citizens Bank Will and Doris Davis Tray and Laura Dillahunty Entergy Corporation Sunny S. Evans Shelly Flis Randy and Margaret Gammill Gehrki Commercial Real Estate George H. Gibson Roy R. Ha Doug and Melanie Masino-Martin Martin Marietta Materials Mid-America Science Museum Leon and Betty Millsap National Park Medical Center Jerry and Melanie Nichols
Oaklawn Jockey Club Ella Reese Seiz Sign John and Helen Selig Allen and Patsey Tillery Charles Allen and Vanessa Tillery II Johnny Van Horn Elisabeth Wagner Foundation Earl Wells John and Monique Wilson
Ambassadors Circle ($500+) Alliance Rubber Company B & F Engineering, Inc. Bank of the Ozarks Evans M. Bush III Rep. Bruce and Deborah Cozart William J. Currier Gary Dowdy Gigerich Electrical, Inc. Georgia N. Happy Hill & Cox Corporation Hot Springs Title Company Lynn Chang and Phuong Ly Magic Springs & Crystal Falls Onevision Solutions Carol Pickens Pratt Regions Bank Sara Roberson Patty Roddenberry Sen. Bill and Betty Ann Sample Lynda Samons Eileen Schmitz Sutherlands Trademark Real Estate Triumph Airborne Structures Representative John T. Vines Byron J. Walker Zeiser Wealth Management
Scholars Circle ($250+)
Allied Barton Security Services AmeriServe Food Service Management Arkansas Midland Railroad ASMSA Future Business Leaders of America Kathy Brown-Ladd Martha Carlson John and Tricia Curreri William J. Currier Randall J. Fale Greeson, Inc. Kymara R. Harris Vicki L. Hinz Hopkins Family Karen G. Lauck Ernestine W. Ross Southern Bancorp RJ and Anne Stone The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa TME Bill Thornton David and Ashley Twiggs Kay Weiderhaft
Stewards Circle ($100+) Bryan Adams Rebecca J. Alonzi Hayward M. Battle Regina W. Beard
Steve and Rebekah Biernacki Beverly Lyn-Cook Rebecca F. Cordell Jessica Craig Kim Creighton, Realtor Baxley-Penfield Connie Crisp Amber Dedman William and Andrea Dobson Joe and Martha Dooley John and Jennifer Ekeanyanwu Faces Foundation Sona Gardner John Goff Nicole Good Harris Law Firm Brad and Stacy Hudgens Jon and Holly Johnson Terry and Sharon Johnson Mark and Traci Johnson James Katowich Johann Komander Patrycja Krakowiak Michael and Hallie Leicht Nell Matthews Daniel McElderry Robert McKinney Brian D. Monson Lee and Chris Murphy Mark and Sonya Murphy Helen Frances Neely Oltmans Development Ouachita Speakers Series Terry and Karri Owens Heather Powell Miller and Sempa Family Nicholas J. Seward Donnie Sewell John Simpson Doyle and Janie Smith Southern Floors & Blinds Stevie Spargo B. J. Tanenbaum Jr. Kyle Thousand Jack and Lindsey Waddell Rich and Sarah Welch Maliah Wernette Wintz Custon Interiors, Inc.
Friends (up to $99)
Alex Abelin JaNan Abernathy Matthew Adcock Faviola Alba Jamila Amarshi Larry Bailey Catherine Beck Tyler Benton Angela Black Andrew and Yang Luo-Branch Caleb Bright Alex Browning Garry and Linda Bridges Samantha Bridges Tamika M. Brown Valerie Carpenter Jeremy Casupanan Mary Alice Chambers Kumar and Dalia Ray Chaudhuri Kellie Clark Rana Cuccia
Amber Davis-Tanner Jamie Deason Richard Demato Charina Duran Laura Durr Paul and Marta Fialkowski Carl Frank Melinda B. Gassaway Olivia Gatten Max Goldstein Irv and Gail Greenberg Whitney Hammons Christopher and Andrea Heredia Justin Hodges Lois Hunter Zach Hutchens Melissa Ingram Lori Jensen Katie Johnston Phillip Kerr Laura Koehnen Mark and Doris Krain Mary Leigh Liz London Jessilyn Manes Daniel Moix Whitney Moore Charles Mullins Sabrina Packard Corinna Paola Rick and Eileen Parham Rebecca Parkin Karen Peterson Kimberly Rowe April Scott David and Deborah Sesser W. David Slaymaker Ashley Smith Wallace and Amanda Smith III Dan Sobkoviak Sarah Sparkman Cheryl L. Stafford Angela Stone Adcock Lisa VanDonsel Dana Vickerson Lisa Vons Cooper Will Watson Wendy Wecksell Deborah Willis Jaimie D. Wright Nikki Zhang
In-Kind Contributions
Arkansas Beverage Sales Sharon Brown Coca Cola William J. Currier James and Lauren Elmore Eric and Lynda Jackson Mountain Valley Water O’Connor Distributing Riser Ford Seiz Sign Allen Tillery Auto Chad A. Tillery, II Tim Parker Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Benjamin M. Van Wagner This list reflects gifts made from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016.
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Your support of the ASMSA Foundation is vitally important for all students at ASMSA. It helps to provide a life-changing experience for every student who has been awarded the opportunity to attend ASMSA. Jada Hunter
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of Murfreesboro, a member of the Class of 2017 and a Student Ambassador
FORWARD.ASMSA.ORG
200 Whittington Ave. • Hot Springs, AR 71901