GLCPS Satellite Campus to be Named In Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

The Global Learning Charter Public School will officially name its satellite campus on Union Street in honor of Joan and Irwin Jacobs at a ceremony on May 14, 2013 at 2 pm. The Jacobs will attend the ceremony which will take place at the Spring Street entrance-way to the school located at 174 Union Street. The school will officially become “The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for Education and Innovation”.

Tours of the campus will be given before the announcement beginning at 1:30 pm.

“There are several reasons why we are honoring the Jacobs in this way,” said GLCPS Executive Director Stephen Furtado, Sr. “For many years, the Jacobs have supported the school and continue to do so. That support has allowed the school to build capacity for technology-driven instruction and project-based, differentiated learning. This is one way we can show our deep gratitude to them for their belief in the school. This is also an opportunity to give the satellite campus its own identity. For students, what better identity than one that inspires those qualities the Jacobs are known for: leadership, innovation, creativity and giving back? The Jacobs have always encouraged our board, our staff and our students to be innovative, to be creative and to think globally.”

Located on the 2nd floor of the same building that houses the New Bedford Ocean Explorium, the satellite campus opened in 2011, providing much needed space as well as state-of-the-art technology and science laboratories for many of the high school classes. In 2012, just a year later, more classrooms were added. Today, there are seven classrooms in the satellite campus, including three science labs.

“Bringing classrooms downtown has created more opportunities for students to apply what they learn in the classroom to the world around them, whether it’s accessing the Ocean Explorium’s Science on a Sphere, interacting with port officials and fishing industry employees, attending classes at BCC and UMass Dartmouth or connecting with businesses downtown for internships,” said high school principal Al Affonso. “Thanks to the Jacobs support, the downtown campus makes it possible for us to conduct project-based learning on a much higher plane.”

Dr. and Mrs. Jacobs will also be the guests of honor at the school’s tenth anniversary capstone event later that day. The event, which will celebrate innovators, leaders and philanthropists, is being held at the Sid Wainer & Son Executive Chef Room at 2301 Purchase Street, New Bedford from 5-8 PM. For ticket information, please call (508) 991-4105.

Joan and Irwin Jacobs live in La Jolla, CA but Irwin hasn’t forgotten his roots. A 1950 graduate of New Bedford High School, he furthered his education at Cornell University and MIT before becoming a renowned innovator and co-founder of Qualcomm, a pioneer in the telecommunications industry which he led from start-up to a Fortune 500 company. He holds more than 14 patents and has been the recipient of numerous awards including, the Lifetime Achievement Award for 25 years in telecommunications, Financial Times; First Member of the Entrepreneur Technology Hall of Fame, and; The Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. Joan, also a graduate of Cornell University, is a leading member of the San Diego community focusing her energies on numerous groups and committees which support education and the arts. Among their many interests is the educational and creative advancement of New Bedford. Joan and Irwin raised four successful sons and together they are recognized among the country’s foremost philanthropists especially dedicated to improving education. They were recognized last year by The New Bedford Standard Times for the example they set for young people. As loyal supporters of Global Learning Charter Public School, their years of commitment and support of the school’s mission, vision and goals has allowed GLCPS to nourish the seeds that were planted over a decade ago and to bloom into what GLCPS is today.

Open to New Bedford residents, GLCPS is a tuition-free public charter school that serves students in grades 5-12. GLCPS offers a small, personalized, challenging learning environment in which students are encouraged to realize their full potential, both academically and personally.

For more information about GLCPS, please visit www.glcps.org or call 508-991-4105.