# Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School

Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School, often referred to as High Tech High (HTH), is a public charter high school in San Diego, California, United States. The school is now one of several schools operated under the High Tech High charter schools umbrella organization.

## History

Beginning in 1998, forty public and corporate partners, led by current board chair Gary Jacobs, began meeting to discuss the current state of education in San Diego. Faced with a shortage of workers for the locally strong high tech and biotech industries, the group wondered why the local school system was not better able to produce more qualified workers. Having given money to the school district in the past and questioning the return on that investment, these local entrepreneurs decided to open a new high school and christened it High Tech High.
Soon thereafter, longtime educator Larry Rosenstock was asked to present to this group about different possible governance structures for the school. He then became the founding principal of the school, and is now the C.E.O. of the network of schools.
The school was founded in September 2000 with 200 students and currently educates 527 students.
High Tech High occupies a building on the former Navy Training Center in the Point Loma area, which is now known as Liberty Station. The school is organized that on a project-based learning model (most learning comes from multi-subject projects, rather than the more traditional approach, where teachers talk and students listen), real-world connection, personalization, and having a common intellectual mission (no ability grouping). Together with several of the other HTH schools, the school is called the "High Tech High Village", which most students simply call "The Village".

## Methodology

At the High Tech High schools, the method of teaching is based on "project-based learning", in which students are given a project which involves working independently or in groups and doing research to complete it. Some classes have projects where grades from different subjects will be all part of the same project.
Projects the students have worked on include designing a human-powered submarine, genetic manipulation, designing a water treatment plant, writing a book on the Harlem Renaissance, creating a sitcom and building a robot out of old computer parts.
All students complete internships in the junior year. These internships are currently a three-week immersion experience working full-time at various places such as website companies, biotech firms, non profits, and other schools.

## Financing

The schools are primarily publicly funded. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation contributed a one-time gift of $1000 per student when the school opened, and has pledged millions of dollars to build more schools following the model over the next four years. Some are already in operation. Financial support to develop the original HTH also came from Gary Jacobs, son of Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs. Jacobs also donated almost 9 million dollars in building space for three of the schools in the village.

## FIRST Robotics

The school is home to one of thirty FIRST Robotics Competition teams in San Diego County. The school's team is named The Holy Cows.
Starting in 2011, High Tech High's The Holy Cows and Francis Parker School's W.A.R. Lords (We Are Robot Lords) began hosting an off-season FIRST Robotics Competition. Known as The Battle at the Border, the event is intended to allow rookie teams to engage in a simulated competition, prior to the start of the next year's official season. Additionally, teams are encouraged to use the event to familiarize new students with the program.
In 2013, The Holy Cows and four other FRC teams lead the 87th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, including: Team 16; The Bomb Squad, Team 180; S.P.A.M., Team 25; Raider Robotix, and Team 1477; Texas Torque.

## Athletics

Cross Country/Track & Field Water polo, Women's basketball. Men's basketball, Women's rugby, Men's rugby, Women's soccer, Men's soccer, Women's tennis, Men's tennis, The High Tech High cross country team, known as the Storm, competes in San Diego CIF sanctioned meets and invitationals. They are 2007-2016 reigning Frontier League champions.. The team qualified for the CIF State Cross Country Meet in 2014 and 2016.

## Results

The school has had over 600 visitors, including US state Governors Gray Davis (California), Tom Ridge (Pennsylvania), Bill Owens (Colorado), and Senator Joe Lieberman, in its first year alone. Other visitors include Peter Yarrow, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Eli Broad, Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez, and Bill Richardson, and Jesus Rubalcaba. On February 15, 2006, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey made an appearance on their education tour.
The central High Tech High Learning organization (with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) has since opened several middle schools and high schools using the original HTH model:
* High Tech High International, San Diego
* High Tech High Media Arts, San Diego
* High Tech High North County, San Marcos, California
* High Tech Los Angeles, Los Angeles
* High Tech Middle, San Diego
* High Tech Middle Media Arts, San Diego
* City High School, Tucson, Arizona
* Explorer Elementary Charter School, San Diego
* Mirta Ramirez Computer Science Charter School, Chicago, Illinois
* New Bedford Global Learning Charter School, New Bedford, Massachusetts
* New Urban High School, Clackamas, Oregon
Formerly there was also a High Tech High Bayshore, in Redwood City.
32°44′9.5″N 117°12′58.8″W﻿ / ﻿32.735972°N 117.216333°W﻿ / 32.735972; -117.216333