Education Notebook: Event offers help on college financial aid form

Spokane Community College will host a College Goal Washington event Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

At the event, part of the statewide 12th Year Campaign, which is run by the Washington Student Achievement Council, trained volunteers will help students and parents fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

Financial aid experts from Community Colleges of Spokane will also be available to answer questions.

College Goal Washington will be at SCC, 1810 N. Greene St., Building 1, Room 1121.

Four schools receive $20,000 STEM grants

The Spokane Public Schools Career and Technical Education department recently received four $20,000 computer science/STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education grants from Verizon for four of its schools.

Garry, Glover and Shaw middle schools and Rogers High School were eligible for the grant because 70 percent or more of their student bodies qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The middle schools plan to use the grants for after-school clubs like robotics, CyberPatriot and computer science. They will also use the money to implement a Project Lead the Way Intro to Computer Science course in the 2016-17 school year.

Rogers will put the money toward its CyberPatriot and SkillsUSA after-school clubs and the creation of a STEM Innovation Lab.

LC students chosen for thespian festival

After competing in the Regional Thespian Festival earlier this month, the following students will represent Lewis and Clark High School at the Washington State Thespian Festival at Central Washington University in March and, if they choose to attend, the National Thespian Festival, which takes place at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska, in June:

Micaela Ackermann, Miranda Anthony-Miller, Brianna Barrick, Tyese Chumov, Erin Chaves, Olivia Davis, Tailer Englehart-Grotte, Chloe Forsberg, Ethan Goins, Bailey Heppler, Ilan Hernandez, James Hogstad, CaraLee Howe, Vanessa Kaufman, Beth Lambert, Julian Lee, Patrick Lynch, Emma Lyons, Caleb McKen, Brittany Mendoza-Pena, Will Petro, Eric Rorholm, Megan Rosenau, Caroline Slater, Isabella Weiand and Claire Woodard.

Gonzaga Prep president to retire

Gonzaga Preparatory School President Al Falkner has announced plans to retire at the end of the 2016-17 school year.

Over his 43 years with the school, Falkner has acted as teacher, coach, athletic director, principal and president, a position he has held for 12 years.

A Presidential Search Committee has been formed and hopes to name a new president by January 2017. For more information on the search, visit www.gprep.com.

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