STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Field Trips
Each year GRAPCEP attempts to provide one or two special field trip opportunities for students in the small school that are related to one of their classes or to the overall goal of encouraging careers in engineering, biomedical research, or related areas of technology or science. Whenever possible, these trips are made available to as many students as want to attend. When attendance is limited by the nature of the event or the amount of transportation available a selection system will be used. If the trip is during the school day, students who are involved in the Academic Intervention System may not attend the field trip in order to attend class in order to bring up their grades if the staff determines that to be in the best interests of the student.
Whenever students take part in a field trip they are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects the professional career preparation that is part of the GRAPCEP program. They may be required to wear official GRAPCEP shirts or to complete tasks before, during, or after the trip as part of the experience. Conduct that is not representative of either Creston High School or the GRAPCEP School may result in the loss of field trip access.
Competitions
In addition to the school, GRAPCEP supports other educational opportunities throughout the Grand Rapids Public Schools which are open to all students but may be of particular interest to GRAPCEP School students. These may vary from year to year depending on the availability of a competition or the desire of staff and students to become involved.
GRAPCEP Student Organizations
ACE Mentoring Program
ACE is a national organization to encourage students to consider careers in Architecture, Construction, and Engineering. Students in grades 9-12 may participate. During sixteen after school sessions the ACE team woks with local professionals to learn the basics of these professions by creating and presenting a site plan and building design for a business, school, or public facility.
Biology Club
Students are encouraged to meet with GRAPCEP staff and their biology teachers on Thursdays after school and work on activities that cannot be offered in the biology classroom. Our goal is to enhance the biology curriculum by providing students an opportunity to complete applications of the biological concepts that will extend and apply the knowledge they are learning in biology class. The Biology club focuses on combining fun with experiential learning.
FIRST Robotics Team 904
One very successful and active competition team is FIRST Robotics. This team meets after school or evenings under the leadership of Mr. Rozendal. Students work to design a robot for the competition in partnership with engineering mentors. Competitions are held regionally where success can lead to a trip to the national competition in Atlanta.
NSBE Jr.
NSBE Jr. is designed to stimulate interest in STEM fields, (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The goal is to encourage students in grades K–12 to attend college and pursue technical degrees. NSBE Jr. is a pre-college initiative that provides activities to help students discover firsthand how engineering and technology relate to the world around them and discover the excitement of academic excellence, leadership, technical development and teamwork. NSBE Jr. meets on Tuesday afternoons.
Each year GRAPCEP attempts to provide one or two special field trip opportunities for students in the small school that are related to one of their classes or to the overall goal of encouraging careers in engineering, biomedical research, or related areas of technology or science. Whenever possible, these trips are made available to as many students as want to attend. When attendance is limited by the nature of the event or the amount of transportation available a selection system will be used. If the trip is during the school day, students who are involved in the Academic Intervention System may not attend the field trip in order to attend class in order to bring up their grades if the staff determines that to be in the best interests of the student.
Whenever students take part in a field trip they are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects the professional career preparation that is part of the GRAPCEP program. They may be required to wear official GRAPCEP shirts or to complete tasks before, during, or after the trip as part of the experience. Conduct that is not representative of either Creston High School or the GRAPCEP School may result in the loss of field trip access.
Competitions
In addition to the school, GRAPCEP supports other educational opportunities throughout the Grand Rapids Public Schools which are open to all students but may be of particular interest to GRAPCEP School students. These may vary from year to year depending on the availability of a competition or the desire of staff and students to become involved.
GRAPCEP Student Organizations
ACE Mentoring Program
ACE is a national organization to encourage students to consider careers in Architecture, Construction, and Engineering. Students in grades 9-12 may participate. During sixteen after school sessions the ACE team woks with local professionals to learn the basics of these professions by creating and presenting a site plan and building design for a business, school, or public facility.
Biology Club
Students are encouraged to meet with GRAPCEP staff and their biology teachers on Thursdays after school and work on activities that cannot be offered in the biology classroom. Our goal is to enhance the biology curriculum by providing students an opportunity to complete applications of the biological concepts that will extend and apply the knowledge they are learning in biology class. The Biology club focuses on combining fun with experiential learning.
FIRST Robotics Team 904
One very successful and active competition team is FIRST Robotics. This team meets after school or evenings under the leadership of Mr. Rozendal. Students work to design a robot for the competition in partnership with engineering mentors. Competitions are held regionally where success can lead to a trip to the national competition in Atlanta.
NSBE Jr.
NSBE Jr. is designed to stimulate interest in STEM fields, (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The goal is to encourage students in grades K–12 to attend college and pursue technical degrees. NSBE Jr. is a pre-college initiative that provides activities to help students discover firsthand how engineering and technology relate to the world around them and discover the excitement of academic excellence, leadership, technical development and teamwork. NSBE Jr. meets on Tuesday afternoons.