SHARP Literacy

Happy Women's History Month! Hedy Lamarr wasn’t just a stunning Hollywood actress in the '30s and '40s—she was also a brilliant inventor who helped shape modern technology! During World War II in 1942, Hedy teamed up with composer George Antheil to invent a groundbreaking radio signaling device that could switch frequencies to prevent enemies from decoding secret messages. Though never used in war, this idea became the foundation for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and modern radio communication! It was only at the end of 20th century that Hedy was properly recognized, garnering awards right before her death in 2000 for her incredible inventions.

At SHARP, students use the radio function, sound, and Bluetooth capabilities in their coding projects with the Micro:bit. These wireless technologies are built on principles pioneered by Hedy Lamarr’s groundbreaking work in frequency-hopping spread spectrum. Without her contributions, modern wireless communication—including the tools our students use—would not exist. Thanks to innovators like Hedy, our students can explore coding, creativity, and invention, paving the way for future technological breakthroughs!

Mark Your Calendars! 📅
Join us on Thursday, May 22 at 3rd Street Market Hall, for a night of food and fun! 🍽️✨ Savor delicious small plates crafted by top Milwaukee chefs—all made with McDonald’s ingredients! Plus, enjoy exciting silent auction items and try your luck at our gift card wall. Don’t miss this unforgettable evening! 🎉

We are excited to welcome Dana Johnson to our Board of Directors!
Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel

We are deeply grateful to the sponsors of the Interschool Design Challenge. Your generosity and support make this event—and our Code & Build program—possible, empowering young minds to learn, create, and innovate. Thank you to Fiserv and the Milwaukee Bucks, AO Smith, Associated Bank, Brady, Generac, Milwaukee Tool, Northwestern Mutual, Rockwell Automation, and the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation. Thank you for making a difference! 💙🚀

Also a huge shoutout and heartfelt thank you to this year’s incredible Interschool Design Challenge volunteer judges! 🎉👏 Your time, expertise, and enthusiasm played a vital role in making this event a success. From evaluating innovative projects to offering encouragement and valuable feedback, your support truly made a difference in the students' experience. Thank you to Stephanie Brown of TMJ4 News, Gilman of the Milwaukee Bucks, Derek Mosley of Marquette University Law School, FOX6's Ted Perry, Nick Sullivan of BDO, and Stacy Zaja of Northwestern Mutual .

The 4th Annual Interschool Design Challenge at Fiserv Forum was a true celebration of creativity, innovation, and teamwork! Yesterday, 108 4th graders from 14 schools across Milwaukee and Waukesha came together to present their incredible projects — developed over 16 weeks in the Code & Build course.
From coding to prototyping to fine-tuning their presentation skills, these young innovators brought their bold ideas to life. The excitement was palpable as they presented their projects to celebrity judges—a moment of pride for everyone involved! With so many impressive projects, the judges faced a tough decision, requiring a last-minute deliberation between the top two teams who tied for 1st place.
Congratulations to our top three teams 🏅
1st Place – Cass Street School with Keeping Dogs Safe
2nd Place – Hadfield Elementary School with Health Headphones
3rd Place – Escuela Vieau with Relaxation Headphones
The future is bright, and it starts with these brilliant minds!

Hadfield School

Milwaukee Public Schools


FOX6's Ted Perry

Programming is underway for 5th grade SHARP students, who are excited to explore how electricity and circuits can enhance their coding skills with the Microbit! In this program, students dive into the world of mini circuits as they program the Microbit and participate in hands-on activities. They will learn to make a buzzer produce sounds, create LED sequences, and much more.

Once they master these skills, students will apply what they have learned to design a project focused on transportation and safety. They can create a police car with functioning lights and sirens 🚨, a traffic light that changes and signals when it is safe for pedestrians to cross 🚦, or even an airplane landing strip 🛬! The possibilities are endless for our SHARP 5th grade students as they complete the Code and Circuit program.

In late February, SHARP school year and summer educators participated in our first "Art Educator Professional Development" session. Much like an apple nourishes the body, this session fueled educators with fresh ideas and creative inspiration! They explored how SHARP integrates the arts into workshops, learned best practices for teaching art regardless of their arts backgrounds, and discovered how the arts enhance our STEAM and tech-based learning models. Additionally, they got a sneak peek at our Summer Learning Program curriculum, channeling their inner artist by creating THREE art projects— including printmaking with real onions and apples to create unique patterns. 🍏🎨

Happy Women's History Month! To kick off our celebration, we're spotlighting Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer. The daughter of renowned poet Lord Byron, Ada received an advanced education, pursuing math and science from a young age. At 17, she met Charles Babbage, the originator of the mechanical computer, and translated his work on the Analytical Engine, adding groundbreaking insights about how coding could process letters and symbols — as well as numbers. She also theorized "looping," a coding method that repeats instructions.
Today, Ada’s legacy lives on in SHARP's Upper Elementary lessons. Whether designing a video game or building a prototype, SHARP students apply the concept of looping block code to repeat functions and streamline their projects!

Thank you to the Bertrand Hopper Memorial Foundation and SHARP Board Member Randy Hopper for being amazing champions of our programs! For the past seven years, the Foundation has teamed up with the Marquette University athletes to help us score big with the Reading with the Golden Eagles Program. Throughout the school year, athletes from the MBB visit our classrooms to read with the students and inspire them to think about how a college degree can change their future. For every rebound made during a home game, the Bertrand Hopper Memorial Foundation generously donates to SHARP! Last week, we were thrilled to accept a slam dunk of a check for $10,000 at a Marquette Golden Eagles home game. Thank you to Randy and Marquette University for making such a powerful impact on our students!

Last month, Kluge’s (Milwaukee Public Schools) 3rd graders took their coding skills beyond the screen during their Educational Tour Experience at Discovery World! 🤖 In small groups, students programmed Lego Mindstorm EV3 robots to move and capture objects, reinforcing the real-world impact of coding. A huge thank you to Discovery World for helping our students put their SHARP programming into motion!

Happy Black History Month! Charles Henry Turner was a pioneering zoologist at the turn of the 20th century who made groundbreaking discoveries about the abilities of insects, including their sense of hearing. One of his most remarkable studies showed that honeybees can see colors and recognize patterns! Over his 33-year career, Turner published more than 70 scientific papers exploring the behavior and capabilities of insects, from spiders to cockroaches and wasps. 🐝

Inspired by Turner’s work, first graders are learning about the vital role of honeybees in pollination and how their vision impacts this process. As part of their lessons, students create artwork that illustrates honeybee patterns and anatomy. Through interactive activities, they also explore how honeybees communicate and the various essential tasks they perform in the colony.

We’re excited to share that SHARP will be joining the BizTimes Milwaukee Education Spotlight next Thursday, February 27, at the Italian Community Center, Inc! Over 40 schools and education-focused nonprofits will be there, along with a dynamic keynote featuring business and education leaders. Plus, there will be roundtable discussions with some of Milwaukee's most influential voices—including our very own CEO & President, Lynda Kohler Welsh. Don’t miss out—get all the details here: www.biztimes.BizTimesMedia’s Education Spotlight next Thursday, February 27, at the Italian Community Center, Inc! Over 40 schools and education-focused nonprofits will be there, along with a dynamic keynote featuring business and education leaders. Plus, there will be roundtable discussions with some of Milwaukee's most influential voices—including our very own CEO & President, Lynda Kohler Welsh. Don’t miss out—get all the details here: www.biztimes.BizTimes Milwaukeecom/mkeedu