Changes to the ISC program, now called ICE, will begin with next year’s seniors focusing on networking alongside service and environment.

ISC is a mandatory course for Seniors in which they develop a personal interest project for the betterment of the community. Starting in Fall 2022, projects will be allowed to have multiple mentors including maintenance, admin and students.

“You’re the master of your own project. If you think that Tech 911 would be the perfect fit for you. Then you would go in and ask them to sponsor you… many other people can join your cause and say hey, you know what? I realized that you need a photographer. I know photography, I can help you with this,” Camilo Hoyos, ISC Teacher, said. 

According to Hoyos changes to the program were made to improve the teaching style and dynamic of the class, not the content. The goal is to improve the class and create stronger engagement and dedication from students towards their project.

“I think that if a class that doesn’t evolve it becomes obsolete. Especially nowadays that everything is changing so quickly. A class should evolve every single year,” Hoyos said.

Seniors will now be required to structure their projects in an environmentally sustainable way, focusing on the improvement of the community as a group of people and not as an individual.

“If the community grows, everybody grows, the economy grows, because making money is definitely important. So you need to learn how to make money and how to be sustainable.” Hoyos said. 

After focusing on theoretical problem solving tools like the iceberg model Seniors believe this year’s class addressed too much of the theoretical and lacked the real life practice. 

“We have been working on theoretical tools which aren’t really that useful because they just talk about digging into a problem that you can dig into otherwise. You don’t have to learn much about that but instead we can learn about communication, how to write the best emails and about how to create the best proposals,” Manuela Calle, Senior, said.

To address this concern, Hoyos stated the importance of strong relationships through communication and how the new ICE program will develop said skills for future seniors.  

“That’s the way life works. Right? When you’re out there working. Networking is going to save your life, networking, the more people you know, the easier your job is going to be. So I’m trying to emulate real life,” Hoyos said.

The name change to Innovation for Cultural Evolution (ICE) reflects the true meaning behind the class which is developing students in a way that promotes the evolution of the community around them. Making them productive members of society. 

“We need to evolve if we stay in the past we’re gonna keep making the same mistakes” Hoyos said.

Students believe the class should focus on real world skills to prepare them for their lives after graduation. 

“I’d like to have a focus on the class that is more about communicating with different people, how to write emails, how to contact companies and how to present yourself as a professional, so when we graduate and we are put in those situations in our professional lives we are prepared and have practiced,” Andrea Cardenas, Senior, said. 

Ultimately, Hoyos’ goal is to prepare students for the future. The emphasis on networking and human relationships are, according to him, the essential building blocks of functional communities. 

“Students that leave the classroom next year will differ from those of today because they will have a broader understanding of global collaboration and its importance,” Hoyos said.