History
1996 – 1997:
EAST Initiative begins at Greenbrier High School with one school and approximately 20 students involved. Corporate partners recognize the value of EAST and begin to contribute. The Center for Advanced Spatial Technology (CAST) at the University of Arkansas becomes the first educational partner. Students begin to speak at conferences and conduct tours at the Greenbrier facility.
1997 – 1998:
Thirteen schools are participating with approximately 670 students involved. EAST expands to 12 additional sites with support from the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) and increased corporate sponsorships.
1998 – 1999:
Thirty-five schools are participating with approximately 2,350 students involved. Three schools outside of Arkansas are added (two in Louisiana and one in Alabama). In 1999 the Arkansas State Legislature voted to provide seed funding for additional EAST classrooms. EAST was featured in Converge ® Magazine in the December 1998 issue and in the Arkansas Business Weekly in 1999.
1999 – 2000:
Fifty-seven schools are participating with approximately 4,700 students involved from middle schools, high schools, and 2-year colleges and one site at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). EAST hosts the first annual "EAST Partnership Conference" to celebrate student achievement, and to recognize the 30 plus corporate and educational partners that have helped to make EAST successful. EAST and the ADE become partners in Project LINKS (Learning Improvements by Networking the Knowledge of States), a multi-state effort aimed at sharing innovative and successful educational reforms. UALR announces the creation of the EAST Scholars program and endows a competitive scholarship for incoming EAST students.
2000 – 2001:
Ninety-eight schools are participating with approximately 8,000 students involved and two more states outside of Arkansas are added ( Hawaii and Illinois). The Arkansas State Legislature votes to continue to contribute funding to the EAST Initiative. The California Department of Education (CDE) helps to provide seed funding for developmental sites in California. EAST is recognized as an outstanding educational effort at the International Global Junior Challenge Exposition in Rome, Italy. EAST is named an innovative initiative by the United States Department of Labor. EAST is named a model program by the International Center for Leadership in Education at its Ninth Annual Model Schools Conference.
2001 – 2002:
One hundred and fifty-two schools are participating with approximately 15,000 students involved. The state of California adds EAST classes to the growing national presence of the Initiative. EAST is lauded as "a world-class model" in a follow-up feature by Converge ® Magazine. A national board of directors is named and EAST transfers governance to a charitable non-profit organization.
2002 – 2003:
Over 200 schools are participating in seven states ( Alabama, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, and Mississippi) with over 20,000 involved. EAST opens two additional regional training centers ( California and Illinois). The first West Coast Regional Conference is held in the Spring of 2003.
2003 – 2004:
Over 200 schools participating with approximately 12,000 students involved. A record number of students participate in both the Central and Western Regional Conferences. First annual Founder’s Awards are presented to Eureka Springs High School in Arkansas and Eureka High School in California. Awards of Excellence presented to Conner Junior High School, Cedarville High School, and Fountain Lake High School in Arkansas. Award recipients in California are Santa Ynez High School and Clark Magnet High School. In Hawaii, King Kekaulikma High School is also presented with the Award of Excellence.
2004 – 2005:
Over 220 schools are participating. EAST is named a model program by the U.S. Department of Education in Toward A New Golden Age in American Education. EAST pilots first elementary program at Fountain Hill Elementary. The 2005 Founder’s Award winner for the Central Region is Fountain Lake High School. The Western Region winner is Arcata High School. Awards of Excellence presented to Star City High School and Horace Mann Middle School in Arkansas and Weber Institute and Santa Ynez High School in California.
2005 – 2006:
The EAST Initiative celebrates its tenth anniversary with its 2006 Partnership Conference, themed "EAST – A Decade of Difference". An additional 13 schools implement the EAST model.