About Us: Updates

Letter from Gary Robinson

Dear Students,

The Synopsys Outreach Foundation is celebrating its twelfth year promoting project-based learning and making science exciting.

Our mission: support students and teachers engaged in hands-on learning and provide opportunities to experience the wonders of science through the challenge of developing a science project.

Whether done for competition or not, you're going to learn about science from the bottom up, choosing a topic of interest to you, developing a hypothesis, doing the research and analyzing your findings. It's a rewarding experience that is sure to sharpen your skills and teach you new ones. You'll be a better researcher and organizer. Maybe you'll work in a team. Maybe you'll learn something about yourself.

I hope you take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy science as you never have before.

Gary Robinson
President
Synopsys Outreach Foundation
Sonoma, CA

Gary Robinson with Nobel Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore in San Francisco

Letter from Heidi Strahm Black

Dear Teachers,

In my 31 years of teaching this is by far the most difficult for teachers.

Even in a normal year, between the paperwork and testing, the faculty meetings and pacing guide training, it is sometimes difficult to keep sight of the important work we do as teachers. We get it back at the most unexpected of times – a discount from a former student at the cell phone store, a free dessert at the pie shop, an email from the lawyer who just wanted to thank you for helping her through high school. Those of you who have made it to this page in a year when your gifted colleagues have been laid off, your class sizes have been increased, and funding has been flowing in reverse, are not only doing an important job, you are going above and beyond in the worst of circumstances.

I have always known in my gut and in my heart that doing hands-on science and science projects was right. I know that there is learning going on that is unscripted and unpredictable, and completely indelible. It is learning so much more real, thorough, and important than memorization – it would make Piaget proud!

You have decided to challenge yourself and your students. There is no easy way to include science fair into the classroom; it is the supreme form of individualized instruction, it is messy, it is time consuming, it takes orchestration, patience, and a sense of humor. I know that in the midst of it all you will question your sanity, but also that at the end of it all you will shine with the reflection of pride in what your students have accomplished.

You are the reason I love my job. I get to assist the most dedicated and thoughtful of teachers. I will do my best to find ways to aid your efforts to develop well rounded science experiences for your classes. And hopefully with the help of the Synopsys Outreach Foundation, you will feel supported through this trying time.

Heidi Strahm Black
Science Fair Coordinator
East Side Union High School District
San Jose, CA