Crater High School recognized the need for small schools in the 1980s and 1990s, receiving widespread recognition for its innovation and excellence in establishing four schools within a school. Today, this school of more than 1,500 students, which serves the rural communities of Central Point and Gold Hill, is re-invigorated, with renewed focus on smaller, more personalized, and more rigorous schools with the support of E3’s Oregon Small Schools Initiative.

As part of this redesign initiative, lead teachers from each of Crater’s four new, small schools – the School of Business Innovation & Science (BIS), the Renaissance Academy, the Academy of Health and Public Service, and the Academy of Natural Science – participated in an innovative digital storytelling workshop supported by E3 and the Pearson Foundation.

Teaching teams gathered for a two-day professional development workshop and created personalized outreach pieces for each program. Members of every team then used their new skills to bring a digital storytelling project to one of their classes in the spring of 2007.

Click on the project image below to view the teacher films and student projects.

Academy of Health and Public Services		Renaissance Academy		School of BIS		School of Natural Resources
Teacher Video Jeanie Camarillo, Brad Eaton, Karilu James		Teacher Video Deirdre Barber, Michael Fitzgerald, Darcy Rogers, Jeff Zundel		Teacher Video Ron Craft, Mike Rogan, Jeremy Sinks		Teacher Video Greg Haga, Kristin Kostman, Jacquie Meunier, Anna Palmer
Student Projects 'Equality Today' Ms. James, Grade 10		Student Projects 'Nuestro Mundo Latino' Ms. Rogers, Period 7		Student Projects 'International Marketing Project' Mr. Rogan, Grades 11, 12		Student Projects 'Renaissance Life' Ms. Palmer, Period 4