In June 2011, AFSF devoted three weeks to a pilot program designed to demonstrate the applicability of its Build San Francisco high school mentoring program to addressing the problem of teacher staff development. In the Build San Francisco model, high school students take their afternoon classes at the AFSF design studio, studying issues in the built environment in accredited classes in architecture design and environmental field studies. Two afternoons each week students are placed with a mentor is a major San Francisco design, architecture, construction or engineering firm. This combination of rigorous academic study and real world experience has proven to be a powerful learning environment. AFSF staff felt that such an environment might work well in introducing teachers to the 21st Century skills that they are now required to teach in their classrooms, an allow them time to collaborate on lesson and project plans that would develop those skills in their students.

Working with the San Francisco Unified School District's Career Education department (CTE) AFSF agreed to work with eight teachers from different high schools in the district. As a group these eight teachers teach over 1000 students each year. Each teacher was placed with a mentor in a firm related to the teacher's academic assignment or personal interest for two mornings each week. The other three mornings were devoted to learning advanced computer skills, listening to presentations from experts and working on lessons and projects for their classrooms to be piloted during school year 2011-2012. The results were excellent.

In 2010, the SFUSD School Board adopted the following list of 21st Century Skills: multilingual and cross-cultural competency; technological literacy; communication skills; aesthetic sensibility; social, environmental, and civic responsibility; and strength of character. As a stand-alone list they have a great deal in common with other lists that have been generated in the past dozen years - but without context they do not offer teachers much to go on. As one SFUSD administrator admitted to an AFSF staff member last year, "I really can't tell you how these words play out in the workplace. For example, what technologies should my students be literate in?" Teachers welcomed an opportunity to observe these skills and to work together on developing curriculum that incorporated these skills as they actually exist in the workplace.

Each teacher was asked to submit a request for the type of firm they felt would be most useful for them to visit. Based on these requests and AFSF knowledge of their partner firms, each teacher was placed with a mentor for the three week period of the program. The following table shows each placement.

One overwhelming reaction of the teachers to the experience was how well they were received by the mentor firms, and their deep appreciation that such knowledgeable (and busy) professionals would take so much time with them. In turn, they felt appreciated as professionals and validated in their efforts with our young people. The experience was, among other things, a morale builder for the teachers, who have a sense that they are under appreciated by the community at large. The mentors convinced them that they were, in fact, highly valued for their efforts with youth.

Each teacher successfully completed the program and developed lessons or projects for use with their students. Because each teacher represented a different program or discipline a wide range of project ideas grew out of the process. Alma Pajarito, math teacher in the Burton Engineering Academy developed lessons on the mathematics of the load measurement for a roof section, based on actual calculations she did under the direction of her mentor.

Christie Harte, civics teacher at Burton, create a project based on a "Landopoly" game to teach land use issues to her seniors. Eric Chow, information technology teacher at Burton worked out project management strategies for a new video lab program he is developing. Even more impressive, he created a virtual classroom model of his proposed new space, using Autodesk Revit Architecture which he learned during the externship program.

He will be able to use this representation, along with a series of floor plans created with the same program to direct the school district in creating the new lab to his specifications.

Each of the teachers presented new fresh approaches to their subject area and came away from the program thinking deeply about other changes they were considering implementing.

In their final evaluations of the program, all were extremely positive in their responses. A collection of comments from the teachers follows:

Getting an overview of the CCI company structure has reminded me of the importance of several values and themes that I promote in the classroom. My time with you has also provided me with several new ideas I will enjoy pursuing in the years to come. Examples of the shared values and new ideas I took away from my time at CCI include: an emphasis on quality, honesty, integrity, accountability, creativity, friendliness and communication. Seeing these values in all of you gave me more than one pause for thought and was a source of inspiration. Richard McDowell - Mentor Thank You letter

This summer I was given the great opportunity to participate in this internship where I was exposed with the real life situation. I experienced and observed engineers in action and what kind of things they do for a living. At first, I was very intimidated and nervous because I didn't know what to expect. However, after the first day of working with Murphy Burr Curry, INC I felt very confident and fortunate to be working and learning from someone who was making great projects. Steve Curry was very welcoming and I learned a lot from him. Alma Pajarito

My time at RMW was 100% useful in understanding systems-especially viewing their work through the prism of a private entity that creates work that affects and is used by the public, and through the lens of economics-how a business finds, plans, and finances their work, and cultivates the professional satisfaction of their staff. Christie Harte

I have some solid project ideas for students to analyze media productions, taking the program apart and piecing together how each element of a production fits in place with another. I would like to design more challenges in which students approach a problem and come up with a plan whether it is a video or other media format, or even creating sets and backgrounds or a system for video production. Eric Chow

It was fantastic to be able to explore the 3DS, Revit, and Sketchup software with Catherine and the other teachers. I think all the teachers generated some fantastic lesson plan ideas for next year. It was also great to meet and interact with the State and City officials in charge of CTE and discuss the available programs. Mike Lee

In twenty years of teaching this is one of the six professional development workshops that I felt was valuable. Karen Melander