EdCom started in 2001 in the Edgewood Middle School gym with 200 Warsaw students participating. After the second year of EdCom, it moved to Warsaw Community High School and now has four to five times as many students participating. It is a celebration of students' learning over the past school year and features project-based learning.
EdCom starts in the Tiger Den with an opening ceremony, much like that of the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Students march in with their schools, holding up their schools flags. There are video presentations and guest speakers before students are released to their rooms to give their presentations.
Coordinator for EdCom this year is David Robertson, Harrison Elementary School assistant principal.
EdCom this year is scheduled for March 27 at WCHS. It goes from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This year's motto is "Showcase of Learning". Robertson said they are celebrating 10 years, but EdCom will stick to the same format.
There are two guest speakers planned for this year. Alana Greenfogel, from WNDU Channel 16, South Bend, will talk about project-based learning and how it relates to what she does as a television news reporter. Warsaw Schools Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz will speak about the importance of education.
"We have a lot of neat stuff we're excited about" at EdCom this year, Robertson said.
A new EdCom logo and t-shirt design will be unveiled this year, Robertson said. Students won't know what they are until the school principals reveal them in a skit.
"The kids are excited about it," he said.
There will be a "wax museum" of students portraying famous Hoosiers. Author studies will be given. High school students will give presentations on the Holocaust and the Jewish resistance to it. Students in Judy Kinsey's and Rick Glass's classrooms will present their Web site. Edgewood Middle School students in Veronica Helser's class will speak on various controversial topics. There will even be some "Twilight" presentations.
"I'm excited," said Robertson. "There's some really neat topics being covered."
EdCom is for all students in grades kindergarten to 12th grade. Kindergarten students from Washington Elementary School will be giving a presentation on ants.
"That's really neat to see the young kids do it," said Robertson.
The Lakeview Middle School science fair also will return to the upper Tiger Den gym.EdCom is open to the public. Each presentation lasts about 30 minutes.
Robertson said he scheduled all the presentations in groups this year. That will allow all the Madison School presentations to be in one area, all the Harrison presentations in another area, etc.
Robertson said he's had great participation and support for EdCom this year. The committee he has worked with has been great, he said.
