Working with mentors from the United Kingdom on projection art, developers, marketing and education people from Adobe, and leaders from the Napa Parks and Recreation Department, students created original artwork and sound design. The final piece was projected on a 70- foot wall over the course of a week, alongside the work of professional artists.

The New Tech Network Best in Network Award recognizes projects across the national network that create learning experiences for students and that can challenge and inspire the practice of project-based learning. Gottfried and two of her students will attend the New Tech Annual Conference in July in Orlando, Florida to present their project at the conference.

“This engaging project is a gold standard example of the real world learning we want our NVUSD students to experience in school,” said Rosanna Mucetti, superintendent of the Napa Valley Unified School District. “When students see their work impact the world beyond their classrooms, their learning feels relevant. NVUSD is very proud that our staff and students at New Tech High received this distinction.”

The Digital Design class at New Tech is a Career Technical Education course offered in partnership with the Napa County Office of Education. According to Barbara Nemko, Napa County Superintendent of Schools, “Lisa Gottfried is a rock-star teacher. She is talented, creative, and very experienced in the real world of digital media. She motivates her students with exciting projects and teaches them the skills that will get them hired for high-wage, high-skill jobs. She absolutely deserves this honor.”