TL Innovation Lab
TL Coding Lab launched in March 2014, as a lunchtime enrichment program, developed then by Owen Bartolf, a rising 9th grade student at Miller Creek Middle School, who was determined to introduce computer programming to his future classmates as Terra Linda High School (TL)--one of the most diverse high schools in Marin County with a 37% under represented student population. At the time, TL did not offer any classes in computer science or courses in the curriculum. Our Founder along with our Principal Katy Dunlap, and the nonprofit Academic Excellence@TL, together viewed computer science as a necessary part of our high school education that better prepares our students for college and career. Thus, together they began to advocate to support our mission: computer science for all students! Our mission has successfully fostered an inclusive community around computer science that helps to bridge the gap in gender and diversity computer science at TL.
Since our founding, TL Innovation Lab has evolved into a dynamic student, volunteer , and community/industry partner driven nonprofit organization that develops innovative enrichment programs in applied computer science for all students at TL. As a result, a growing community has fostered passionate advocacy for computer science at our high school and throughout the county with our passionate TL Innovation students and key stakeholders: AcdemicExcellence@TL, Principal Katy Dunlap, Terra Linda High School and San Rafael City Schools District Leadership Teams, along with community and industry partners. TL Innovation Lab has worked together with our key stakeholders to create the following amazing opportunities and significant outcomes for our students at TL:
Offering New Enrichment Programs to include, TL Maker Lab and TL Video Game Studio!
Encouraging and attracting a diverse range of beyond the typical STEAM students because students can explore applied computer science without the impact of grades!
Effectively advocating to motivate our district leadership to add computer science into TL curriculum with 2 new AP classes in Computer Science and recently developing a new curriculum in STEAM.
Creating enrichment programs that server as models for innovative programming with a new TL Video Game Development Academic and Career Curriculum Pathway that will launch in Fall 2018!
Advising academic and district leadership in new academic pathways in applied computer science and digital media that are now underdevelopment aligned with the new construction of STEM/STEAM classroom cluster funded by the recent passing of Measure B!
Building community around CS district wide and county wide through special events like the Bay Area Maker Faire, and our own special speaker series: Industry Insights.
Bridging the gap in gender and diversity has been a primary mission since our founding! Since, we have invited industry leaders who mentor and encourage student engagement in computer science and STEAM, especially for our female and under represented students. Through our enrichment programs, special events and speaker series, we have created new opportunities for all students at TL that will better prepare our students for college and career.
This video also helped to raise awareness to the lack of access to academic paths in computer science at our high school and also helped to spotlight our students' enthusiasm for CS!!! Student Advocacy like our video helped to show our community and industry partners along with school leadership that access to computer science and digital media is an important pathway to better prepare our students for college and career at TL-- one of the most diverse high schools in Marin County!
A Special Project Produced to Build Community Around Computer Science Shortly After Our Founding in 2014
Students of TLCoding Lab entered a competition iduring the summer 2014, to create a 90 second video to show how our IT Dept. collaborates with our partners, admin, teachers, and students to provide computer science instruction, and innovation around tech at TLCoding Lab! Although we didn't win the $50,000 Grand Prize, we did have a whole lot of fun building community with our students, parent volunteers, and our corporate partner CodeHS while collaborating creatively together! This video also helped to raise awareness to the lack of access to academic paths in computer science at our high school and also helped to spotlight our students' enthusiasm for CS!!! Watch our video directed by the talented Nick Slanec, TLCoding Lab and MarinSEL Student at TL.
Student Advocacy like our video helped to show our community and industry partners along with school leadership that access to computer science is important for all of our students at TL-- one of the most diverse high schools in Marin County!
TL Innovation Lab Leadership & Mentors
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Student Leaders
Finaly Norton Lindsey, President TL Innovation Lab
David Muller, Vice President, TL Innovation Lab
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TL Faculty Leaders
Lead Teacher Mentor for TL Innovation Lab, GAME, & Mathematics: Bruce Gustin, bgustiny@srcs.org
Lead Teacher Mentor GAME, Digital Design & Media Narrative Writing:
Lisa Cummings, lcummingsr@srcs.orgLead Teacher Mentor Digital Art: Katy Bernheim, kbernheim@srcs.orgLead Teacher Mentor GAME,
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Industry Guest Mentors
TL Maker Lab Guest Mentor: Roger Ruittmann, CTO Reactful. Inc
GAME and TL Video Game Development Studio Guest Mentor: Mark James, Vice President of Technology, 2K
To verify participation and student membership, please email Owen Bartolf at owen.bartolf@gmail.com
Meet our TL Innovation Lab Students & Alumni
Currently Under Construction
Community & Industry Partners/ Mentors
Let's Make Really Cool Stuff Together!
Support TL Innovation Lab!
We believe that an understanding of applied computer science will better prepare our youth for college and career. Our students, teachers, parents, along with our community and industry partners are working together with Principal Katy Dulap and key stakeholders to create new academic pathways in computer science at our high school which is one of the most diverse campuses in Marin County with a 37% immigrant and under represented student enrollment.
Help us support our mission to provide access to computer science for all students at TL!
TL Innovation Lab is currently our only student hub for learning and innovating in applied computer science without the impacts of grades creating an open and inclusive environment that fosters confidence no matter what your experience level is in programming. Generous donations help us offer exciting new collaborative and project-base learning enrichment programs that give our students more time to explore, to create and to innovate daily. Our enrichment program create more depth and hands-on learning in applied computer science, robotics, digital design and making cool stuff!
Become an angel investor to support our learning, innovating, and community that is working to bridge the gap in gender and diversity in tech with a generous donation to TL Innovation Lab!
Thank you so much for your support!
We are an enrichment program developed by TL students and volunteers of Academic Excellence@TL, a public 5013c,Tax ID # 68-368998 Donations of time, talent, or monetary donations beginning at $500 and above are acknowledged as a Bridging the Gap Partner on our website with a click through icon, and will also be listed in any special event communication materials. Make megabytes of difference for our students who love to code!