This project has made a great impact on me. Now that exhibition is over, I can finally relax and really reflect on this project. I am so happy that we indeed made a difference in our school, and we accomplished both our goals of gaining technology and learning how to advocate for ourselves. We have received iPads for a sixth grade class and using the netbooks instead of the Dells has increased our ability to finish work. We have made our voices heard, and I am confident that the next year eighth graders will do the same. Becoming involved in the project has taught how to advocate for myself. As I go on to high school, which has an advocacy project as well, I feel one step ahead in knowing what to do and how to do it.

As time flew by and the 8th grade year is ending, as students, I felt like we have accomplished many things throughout this advocacy project. From spending many hours writing grants and newsletters, creating presentations and videos, updating the blog, and even making thank you cards, we have worked so hard and kept our persistence throughout it all. It’s such a great feeling that our project had been spread out and even making it on the Mercury News! I am so proud of all of us and I absolutely know that we left a lasting impact to the Renaissance community and completed one step towards making our school a better place. Thank you to all the teachers that helped us with so much and guided us through, and thank you to all the donors and supporters for your donations and encouragement for our project!

The amazing exhibition is finally done! I saw all the different types of work that all my classmates have created. I can’t believe how successful it came out to be. Being the first 8th graders to do such a project is nerve racking already, but to try to pull it off successfully was another. I believe that many people have changed from this project by growing more mature and developing leadership skills. The change, I know for a fact, certainly was a positive effect. I just hope that the incoming 8th graders will keep this important project going. We put our blood, sweat, and tears into this advocacy project. I wish that it will continue for a long time, know that we were the first to start this project.

This project has left a huge impact on me. I’m so proud of what we have accomplished and how far we have gone. Knowing that we have already made some changes lets me know that we can make more. I honestly believe that this project will leave an impact on everyone who encounters it because of all the dedication and hard work put into it.

I believe this project has left a lasting impact on everybody because even though we had a difficult time cooperating with the computers from time to time we still pulled through the obstacles we have encountered during the project. I also believe that this was not a waste of time because we have succeeded in earning a classroom set of IPads for Renaissance and got the word out of what we were doing to receive better technology in the classrooms.

Our advocacy project was very succesfull. I think we have accomplished a lot. Ive learned many things throughout this advocacy project like working on PowerPoint’s and looking at different things schools have that we don’t. I liked being able to stick to one topic and learning so much about it. My project was basically looking at all of the technology out there and seeing how we would be able to use it in school and how it will make our education better. I think if we were to continue to advocate we would be able to get so much more. When you try to get people to hear what you have to say, they will listen and to try to help as much as possible but you have to communicate.

I just want to say that this project was a good experience for everyone, especially the ones that never got a chance to do this. Hopefully as we leave this school, people continue to advocate and get their voices heard. Just to make the long story short as many of us know, we went through many struggles and rough times, but we still managed to pull through and get our voices heard. So for those incoming 8th graders, good luck, and continue to advocate.

Exhibition night went great. I’m glad so many people showed up. I was impressed with how people were willing to pay $2 for a cupcake to support our project. Knowing that people are inspired by our project just inspires us more. I hope the incoming 8th graders take as much pride in this project as we did and carry it out. I’m convinced that we can get our donor’s choose fully funded by September, that way the incoming 8th graders will have something to work with, the 2 Mac computers. With them, they’ll be able to make quality videos and other multimedia projects.

I feel that this advocacy project was a success. I still remember the day that the advocacy project began. At this time, I was not sure what was going to happen. But, as I look back to this day, I feel that this project has brought positive change to our community. Everyone has been working really hard to bring positive change to the community, and they have also done a great thing for our school. I am very impressed to how many great things have happened to our school/community because of this project. I was also thrilled to see many of my fellow classmates on the front cover of the Mercury News, and I am very proud of what they have accomplished. I really enjoyed watching all the videos from the outreach group, and I am very impressed to how well done the videos were. Throughout this entire project, I have learned many valuable lessons. The most important thing I learned from this project was that it only takes one person to make a difference, and I find this to be the most memorable part of the project. I really enjoyed working on this project, and I hope that the incoming eighth graders will do great things for our community.

I agree with you, Emily, that our experiences will prepare us for what is yet to come. It has been such a great experience to be a part of this amazing project, and I know that we are all very sad to leave. But, I do know that the next Renaissance graduating class will also do a phenomenal job and enjoy the project just as much as we did.

I believe many 8th graders have learned so much from this advocacy project and don’t want it to end quite yet. Exhibition Night was a success once again and it’s wonderful to leave here on such a great note! I appreciate all the hard work you put into your blog and the work of all the other 8th graders. I look forward to see the rest of the project be completed!

I am so proud of all of my classmates! We accomplished so much in the 2010-2011 year, and I cannot help but feel sad when I think of summer. This last week of school may be the last time I see most of you because we are going on to different paths to leave our own legacy wherever we may go. This is definitely my most memorable school year ever. It was my first time speaking up at a board meeting; it was my first time coming out in the newspaper; and it was definitely my first time presenting a speech in front of the whole school district. I am coming back next year as a guide to future advocates because I know what it is like to start this project feeling lost and confused. Hopefully, it will be easier for them now that we have paved a path and left something for them to follow. I will not let that happen to other Renaissance students. Goodbye my friends.

This project has left a big impact on me because it has taught me how to advocate for myself, identify injustices, and to overcome these injustices. I am also really proud of this project because we have gone really far in changing the education and the technology we have in this school. This has taught me how to identify injustices in schools and in the world in general. I have also learned to overcome these injustices by taking a stand and actually trying to do something about it. This project also has influenced me to advocate for a problem that I think is not right for my community. I am really proud of this project!!!!!!!

Emily, The work you have done for this project has been breath taking. To all the advocates, I am proud to say that it’s been a pleasure to see how people who I once saw as just another peer, seem to be amazing and talented. I believe this project has allowed us to recognize our potential and has sparked a fire that allows us to accomplish amazing things. This project is just the beginning of many for us. We started off in our community, but now it’s time to impact the world.

Great job Emily! This project has left an impact in our community. Actually seeing some of our fellow advocates on the Mercury News is such an amazing feeling. We can see that people do listen to what we have to say. You did a great job on updating the blog. Special thanks to our donors!

This project has really motivated me to keep trying to accomplish something that can benefit other people rather than just ourselves.

This advocacy project has been an amazing experience. The ability to change ones preconceived notion of us has been a great feat. Yes, we were aiming to fill the technological gap that exists between us and many schools in Palo Alto, but I think we were also aiming to prove to people that we’re not the rowdy, obnoxious, self-centered, egotistical morons that many people believe we are. But we are intellectuals, whom are ready, willing, and able to make a change where we see fit.

This whole advocacy project has left a long lasting impact on me and the way I think about Renaissance; this is a school that is trying to advocate for itself. The whole point of our advocacy project is not only to close this technological gap we have, but we have also been working all year on getting our voices heard. I honestly think that each and every one of us have been truly committed to this project since day one, and I believe that this project will not die out as we leave, but grow stronger.

This project has completely left an impact on me. I am just astonished that we as young, smart 8th graders have completed our first phase and second phase successfully. With all the work we have done, this advocacy project tells me that if there’s something wrong about anything I have the right to stand up and speak out. For the incoming 8th graders that are coming next year, I hope they take a bigger step in this project to a point where we have the technology we need in our school for better education. I am so proud of how far we have gone through this project, and believe that our school will have better resources.

We’ve come a long way. Rather than a traditional exhibition, we did something beyond our standards. And I’ve never been prouder. Leaving Renaissance is going to be a sad sight. But just because we’re leaving the school, it doesn’t mean our impact is leaving the school. Renaissance will always be a part of me. The expression “you can take the kid out of the fight but you can’t take the fight out of the kid” comes to mind. Everything we’ve accomplished and everything we’ve worked for isn’t going to be left behind but rather passed on to the new upcoming eighth grade students. I wish the best of luck for every eighth grade student going to high school for our footprints here at Renaissance will never fade.

This advocacy project is amazing. It has done so much for our school and for our future students. We were able to do so much in so little time for the future generations at Renaissance; we were able to leave an impact on our school. If I hadn’t come here, I never wouldn’t be able to experience this and would be at old school wishing I had better technology. This project left a lasting impact on the eighth grade students here and being a Renaissance student has helped me realize that. Being a Renaissance student has helped me realize that I can do things to change the community for the better along with my classmates.

This project, this Advocacy project, was the start of something big, and as students come and go, it will get bigger and bigger and bigger. This concept of working hard and getting our voices heard to get what we want and deserve is a really vital concept. The concept has been around for ages, but is still very new to us. If students want to grow up and change in the world, it is imperative that they learn these skills. Kids in our generation, our school, can become the next Dr. Martin Luther King for all we know and the effort that goes into this student driven project will help them get there. This project wasn’t just designed to earn technology; the technology was a bonus. It was really designed to help us Renaissance students to overcome the racial and societal stereotypes holding us back and really help us to believe that we CAN do it. We can work together as a community and get what we want done. I believe this theory, this belief, is the basis for our work and we have really taken this to heart and used it to our advantage. That’s why we’ve been so successful. We are making a name for ourselves in our community, and taking the skills that will give us, as individuals, a name in the country- maybe even the world. And it all starts here, attending board meetings and creating PowerPoint’s. Like I said, this project is the start of something big.

I feel proud of all the hard work we have done with our advocacy project. The last exhibition we had went great. This has left a huge impact on me, and I hope next year 8th graders get the same impact we have had. I am happy to know that the advocacy project was not a waste of time because we got the chance to contribute to getting a set of iPads for a Renaissance classroom. I would like for next year 8th graders to keep working on this project, and for them to get their voices heard just like we did.

Renaissance has left a big impact on us so why shouldn’t we do the same for Renaissance. This year wasn’t how most of us had expected it to be. We all went through a lot in the process of this project. In our case, we experienced something that will carry with us throughout our lives. We have all been inspired, each and every one of us, in our own way. We have all helped each other in our own ways, and we have all left a footprint in our school and world. I feel that even though this is the first time that our school has done this, I feel that we have make a difference and left our footprint behind in the world. Injustice never stops, so why should we stop. In life, nothing stops. So, why should we stop advocating for better technology, better education, better lives, and better ways to improve the world with our skills? This advocacy project will not stop and neither will the world. This is our time. This is our generation’s time to change our world, our community, our school, and our lives. We can make a difference, and nothing will ever stop us from making that difference.

Our work during this project will not end in vain. It will be an influence for many generations to come. And it will encourage them to continue where we left off and fill our shoes to fight for inequalities in our communities. We do not consider ourselves ignorant teenagers who did this for a grade. And neither should the newer students. We consider ourselves innovators in an everlasting problem that cannot be solved without everyone’s help. As my schoolmate William T. once said, “One spark is all it takes and we are that spark!”

This Advocacy Project is a project that goes on in our minds and in our souls no matter where we go. As an Eighth Grade team, we have achieved and forged an identity for this Advocacy Project. However, it is time for us Eighth Graders to depart. I bid farewell to the Advocacy Project after a year of hard work. This Advocacy Project is not over yet, there are still long times ahead of us. We will leave Renaissance with many accomplishments as well as a legacy to leave behind. Let’s make sure that this legacy be carried on to future students here at Renaissance. I want to see our project last many years and to make a big impact across the city, the state, and the nation. We are pioneers. We are revolutionaries. We have accomplished so much in one year. However, it is not over. There is still a lot more work to do. As Sir Winston Churchill said, “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” This is true! There is still more to do! Our time here at Renaissance may be over, but the Advocacy Project is here to stay! It is time for the passing of the torch from one hand to another! Now, it is time for a new group of students to take hold of our Advocacy Project! I hope that you students will make us proud by giving in nothing but absolute effort, determination, and passion! Work hard and give it your best!

Wow! It is the end of the year already. I am very thrilled that we were able to work on something so big and actually accomplish our goals. I am very glad that Emily took her own personal time to work on this blog. It is really inspiring that so many students actually put their hearts and minds into it. When we first began this project, I was nervous, and I thought we wouldn’t get very far, but we did! I believe whole 8th grade has been impacted because of this advocacy project. My perspective is that it has made us all come closer. It’s the last week of school, and I am bummed that we have to leave, but I know we will leave always remembering Renaissance Academy and the Student Advocacy Project, and I know we will leave knowing how to stand up for something that is very important.

The advocacy project has left an impact on me because it changed how I see how we can make a huge impact on our community. This advocacy project showed me how to identify a problem and how to fix that problem, which is to advocate. All of the eighth grade students had dedicated so much time for this project (especially when it’s exhibition). I am so glad of what we accomplished so far.

I think throughout this advocacy project, we eighth grade students, learned a lot. I hope the incoming eighth grade students continue with this project and learn as much as we did. We worked hard to advocate for better resources for a better education. The netbooks were lent to the eighth grade students about two weeks ago, and they’ve done us well! They have been a huge help during the time we had them. As for Emily, you did a great job with the blog and staying on top of all this updating!

This 8th grade year has been a great year, and it’s coming to an end. It was great because we started and finished the advocacy project. The great thing is that we advocated for new technology, and that’s what we got. Our hard work paid off in the end, so that means we don’t have to wait like 20 minutes to turn on a used or an old laptop. We couldn’t have done what we did without the different groups: the digital storytelling group, the implementation group, and the outreach group. We should be truly thankful that the groups got along well and put the missing pieces together. I also just want to say thank you to those who participated in this special event.

I think the fact that we got to use netbooks was useful because we needed time to work on our exhibition. I needed Windows Movie Maker 2007 for my “Parkour and Free Running” project and none of the computers had this software, but I used the netbooks to look for images. Looking for images, helped me get more time at home because I didn’t need to waste time to get images. Not only did I use the netbooks to help me get images, but they helped me fix some of my videos. I saw that the netbook had a SD card slot which was suitable since my camera has a SD card. Also, these computers helped me get the right videos by sorting through the ones that did not show a good understanding of parkour and free running. Finally, these netbooks are excellent because they have 3 USB slots. The only bad thing is that the internet runs slow, but everything else was great.

When we got netbooks the student’s got more engaged in their work. We went from only a few students engaged in their work to mostly everybody wanting to work and be more engaged. Once we got the netbooks, everybody couldn’t wait to start working on their exhibition because they wanted to use the new technology and see how it works. All I can say is that when student’s get new technology they will be more active, engaged, and supported.

I had long waited for our outcome and had really been looking forward to what we would accomplish. I’m blown away with all of the hard work and passion that has gone into this project. I feel like we should all be proud of what we’ve done. We’ve really illustrated all of the amazing things we as Renaissance students can do. I’m truly proud of being a Renaissance student because all of the wonderful experiences that we have faced have shaped our imagination and have made us grow. We are much more mature than we were at the beginning of the year and have been demonstrated the capacity we have inside of us. All I can say to our eighth grade class of 2011 is dream big and don’t feel satisfied with anything. Be confident because this advocacy project serves as evidence of what we East Side students at Renaissance Academy can accomplish! We are all capable of great things and good luck to the incoming eighth grade class. Trust me you will be glad to have been involved in this project and have been a part of the Renaissance Family.

I think that this project was helpful and useful because it showed that all the students could work hard and together if they wanted to. Anthony

Hey Emily, I think your blog is amazing. Advocacy was a bit challenging because we had to fight for better technology. Important people came down here to Renaissance and viewed what we have been doing and why we need better technology . I think we really came through and made sure our voices were heard. Your blog was also really helpful for our advocacy project. Now people can say what they have in mind about our project and give us Ideas of what we can do better or what we should do or even tell us to step back a minute and relax. Advocacy was really enjoyable.

The project was helpful because everyone worked together to get what we need.

I wanted to tell you guys and girls thank you for everything!

I’m glad that this project has happen. It has brought many positives changes to our school and district.

Good job Emily; you did a really good job motivating us with the blog. I believe your blog might have inspired other students to do what we did.

This project was a great idea. By doing this instead of the traditional exhibition we have all accomplished something. By starting and following through on our goal we have all grown, learned new things, and accomplished something for the future students of Renaissance Academy. I know I have grown into someone who cares and someone who will act. I’ve also learned how to take a stand and how to get my voice heard. And I know that what I and my fellow classmates have done will help the future 6th 7th and 8th to become better leaders, learners, and activists.

Exhibition is over and the school year is coming to an end. Just because we’re graduating, it doesn’t mean our advocating should stop. We’re barely starting and we still have so much work to do. For the most part, we’vwe succeeded, but we can never settle for something less than we can achieve. We started this project and we’re going to finish it till the end.

I am not sure about everyone’s feelings but for me, I know I feel good when someone is proud of what I have done. I am very happy that I have been a part of the Renaissance family. My time here is over but I will never forget the struggles and accomplishments this class went through. I have grown and learned from many experiences here. I know that wherever I go in life I will be in control. I will be determined to change whatever I do not like. I will come across people who need help and I will help them. I will teach others to take a stand and speak up. Most of all, I will always be apart of the friendly, intelligent, and responsible group of individuals that came from Renaissance Academy.

This advocacy project has made a big impact on me. It showed me how capable we are to make a big change and difference. I am really excited for Renaissance and how we are striving to do much better day by day. I am glad that our work is being seen by others and it will continue. As for Emily’s blog, I am very excited about this as well. Emily has been doing a great job and it inspires me to do better knowing that other people care about the work Renaissance has done. Without Emily, people wouldn’t know what and how we’re doing. All in all, this advocacy project has united Renaissance even more and it has showed me the significance and values of working together.

My life at Renaissance was great. I had up and down times but the education was great it and made me a great student. Thanks to all those teachers who helped me at Renaissance.

This advocacy project has been a major impact on me and many of my fellow classmates. I feel that the eight graders did a great job with everything. I am so glad that we made it on the front page of the newspaper. This was one of our greatest accomplishments and I’m sure it gave us a boost in our moral. Thanks to our help and the help from our future eighth graders I feel we have made Renaissance Academy a better place.

Hi my name is Ociel, and I am glad to know all of the things we accomplished by advocating. There were lots of things on the blog that I did not know we had accomplished until I read it. And, I hope that we advocated well enough to earn our school new technology. And, I hope that next generation of eighth grade students keep working so our school can get better technology.

I spent all my first three years as a teenager at Renaissance Academy, and at the beginning, I thought that it was just going to be that same process, just learning. However, it was completely different from what I expected because through middle school I received a wonderful gift, the idea of advocating. This advocacy project may not seem so important to other people, but for me through this project I received an opportunity to work with my teachers and peers for something that, what we as one want. I am completely amazed, astonished at what we, normal teenagers, could do. This year and my previous years would always stay in my heart and I will continue to use the skills as a student (and later on as I grow older). It’s all amazing because no matter how much of a genius you are, you can never fight alone, but as one anything’s possible as long as there is corporation and hope.

We have accomplished lots of things that have led us to outreach and advocate for technology, and I think we are really working hard to succeed for our future. This project has demonstrated how we can work together for a change. I believe that although we are promoting from middle school to high school, this hasn’t ended. We have still demonstrated how the next school’s generation can still advocate and continue the project with outreaches and accomplishments for a change in equality, for technology. Thanks to all eighth graders, we have now started a great change for our future.

I am proud to know that all of our hard work has made a huge impact on people around the country. I am proud of every eighth grade student for participating and giving the Student Advocacy Project all their time and effort. Ms. Ibrahim just gave us a speech about how all of our hard work has affected many people way beyond what we imagine. I realize this is true. I can honestly say that, through this project, I have learned many skills that I know I will definitely use in high school and beyond. This may sound like a cliché, but, as the teachers say, this project will impact your life. I know it has for me. I have grown academically, socially and professionally. I have gained writing and speaking skills, and I have overcome my fear of speaking and performing in front of large crowds. I have learned the value of team work and the value of standing up for what you believe in. Besides academic success, I can also honestly say that this project has brought me closer to many of my classmates than I have ever been. From being serious during class and projects, to acting goofy during lunch, to having a blast on our fieldtrips, I will miss everyone. Have a fantastic experience in high school everyone! Ps. I would like to thank my teachers Mr. Peter Tinkelenberg, Ms. Sanee Ibrahim, Mr. Vince Iwasaki and Mr. Natan Ben-Yonatan for helping guide us students through our struggles through this project and just throughout the entire school year. You will all be missed.

I’m proud of the work that I have accomplished. At first I thought we will get computers, but never thought ipads. The advocacy project has changed me, it showed if we all work tougher we can make a difference. We have completed step 1 for the 7th grade and it’s up to them to complete the rest of the steps. The rest of the 8th graders did amazing job as well, without working together where will we be? I hope of the advocacy project will grow and make a change.

This week is our final week here at Renaissance. It has been a great experience for me and many others. I know that my little brother will have fun here and enjoy the teachers. Because of this year’s 8th grade class had advocated for new technology, this will help those coming to this wonderful school. The next group of 8th graders will do the same but, they will advocate for something different like more small schools. Whatever they do they’ll leave an impact on the school, community, school board, and beyond.

This project has motivated me because it showed that we can all a accomplish something as a group. Then that this project is going to be a impact on the new 8th graders coming. This is also going to help the 8th graders coming because they can keep doing this so that they can get the technology that we didn’t.

All eighth grade students here at Renaissance will always remember the impact we left. The impact on the community, on future Renaissance students, on the district, on education nationwide, on technology and how we think about it, and the impact we left on ourselves. This project has also left us a sense of responsibility. That we are responsible of our own education and the education of others. Education is a right not a privilege therefore it is your right to obtain the best education possible. This year I learned that if you need something don’t just ask and wait for it to come to you or happen. You have to act for yourself, build allies, support, connect, and persevere. I think all of us students have done a great job.

This project has really motivated me to fight for the materials we need. We all worked hard to accomplish this project and succeeded twice. Maybe the coming eighth graders are as motivated as I am and start accomplishing more.

This project really revealed the true meaning of Renaissance; passion and hard work. It showed how every student was willing to make a change, regardless of all the hard work we had to go through. Looking back when we first started, all of the hopes we had of receiving more technology and resources, but now we have more than just technology, but dedication and the ability to inspire others. It truly was a student-led project and I am glad to be part of it. Like Grace Martinez once said,” The teachers were the outline, but the students filled in the details. We wrote the paper and now we leave it for everyone to read our writing.”

At the beginning of this advocacy project I really did not think we were going to get this far. As I look back at all we have accomplished I say, unbelievable. It is incredible how we can all accomplish big goals working together. I believe we all have worked hard to leave a major footprint. This project has left an impressive impact in me. I am proud to look back and say I was a part of this project.

I think back when we found out about the project and never did I believe that we could make so many accomplishments. I still have a hard time believing that the sole dedication and heart set of eighth graders achieved so much in just one school year. Even though our school year is over, I know many of us will be back to help the incoming eighth graders, we have too much dedication for this project. It is like our child, we raised it and now we are sad to let it go, but just like any parent, we will always come to visit.

This project has made an impact on me. I’m so glad that exhibition has ended. Since we have started advocacy in October I was seeing students working really hard on their project. I’m also glad of the things we have accomplished. I would like to thank all Renaissance eight grade students for their hard work, and for advocating the things they want to accomplish.