Oracle is planning to build a public charter school called the Design Tech High School right next to its Silicon Valley headquarters.
The tuition-free high school will focus on teaching science, technology, engineering, problem solving skills and design thinking to prepare students for careers in technology.
For several years now, technology companies worldwide have been trying to push more science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to junior high and high school kids, and Oracle is one of them. While others have launched various initiatives or programs toward this endeavor, Oracle is moving to build an actual high school right on its Silicon Valley campus.
Safra Catz, the current CEO of Oracle, recalls how 17 years ago, then-CEO and founder Larry Ellison said he would like a high school that would teach students to think. The Design Tech High School, or d.tech for short, aims to turn Ellison's vision into reality.
"Our support of d.tech reflects Larry's vision for a unique high school founded on principles we believe in: innovation, creativity, problem-solving and design-thinking," Catz said in a press release. "We couldn't be more excited to build this school on our campus and to see the positive impact it will undoubtedly have on the students, teachers, Oracle employees and the Bay Area community."
This innovative Design Tech High School is slated for completion in the fall of 2017, marking an important step forward in this project. The d.tech school first launched back in 2014, but it currently shares facilities with another school. The Oracle Education Foundation saw great potential and adopted this school, with company employees volunteering and teaching workshops on various topics such as design and coding.
Those volunteers will continue to be involved once the new Design Tech High School is completed in 2017, working closely with students on STEM areas. As a public, tuition-free charter school, the upcoming d.tech will take things to the next level.
Oracle plans to build an LEED-certified, state-of-the-art school of 64,000 square feet, gearing up to welcome 550 students, 30 faculty members, and the local community.
Dr. Ken Montgomery, executive director and founder of Design Tech, further highlights that d.tech will offer "immeasurable opportunities" to students because it will be the world's first institution of its kind to reside on a high-tech campus.
Oracle made no mention of the costs this effort will involve, but the company will surely have to spend quite a lot to complete the project. The school will not require tuitions, but the student acceptance process will be highly selective. Watch the video below to learn more about this ambitious project.
