"TSA's mission is to inspire its student members to prepare for careers in a technology-driven economy and culture. The demand for technological expertise is escalating in American industry. Therefore, TSA's teachers strive to promote technological literacy, leadership, and problem solving to their student membership." - tsaweb.org
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Every autumn, High Tech's TSA chapter conducts a series of computer courses for the community. These courses are organized and taught by the student TSA members. The appeal is wide, as parents, neighbors, and even teachers come to learn new skills. Most of the courses cover specific programs, such as the Microsoft Office programs and their useful functions. Students also hold a course on using FirstClass, the program used for the school's bulletin board system and intracommunity emailing. Another popular course is on Internet searching, a highly useful and necessary skill in today's wired world.
The chapter holds meetings to discuss places for improvement based on the experiences from the last year, what courses should be offered, if any courses should be changed, and to assign the groups of students to teach the different courses. After those preliminary decisions are made, the club designs a flier and advertises to the teachers of High Technology High School and the other academies of the district. The flier is also published in the Parent Faculty Association's newsletter, which is sent out monthly to the parents of High Technology students. Through these advertisements and word of mouth, the chapter gets many responses and approximately 20 people enroll for each course.
Each computer course taught is led by a different group of students, with one as the main teacher and the others assisting him in preparation for the evening. These groups have several obligations to meet in the teaching of the course. They first draw up an outline of the specific topics to be covered. After an initial basic lecture, those taking the course have planned activities to complete as a sort of hands-on experience while the "teachers" go around the room, giving help and advice. Handouts must also be prepared so that each member of the community is able to take home something tangible from the course to help remind them of what they have been taught.
A new fundraiser was initiated this year in the sale of Tupperware to the families, friends, and coworkers of the chapter's members. This sale proved very profitable and it is planned again for next year.
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