HE³AT Class Pairs Students with Tech and Ed Companies
An Adobe employee shows DIIT students at MetroTech Center how to use AI in videos and websites. Photo: Sabrine Uddin
By JUSTIN CEN and BARNABAS JIANG
Towards the end of the academic year, everyone begins to consider what courses they would like to enroll in next year. Rising juniors, you’re in luck! A hidden treasure of a class, HE³AT, is now available for you.
HE³AT, which stands for healthcare, energy, education, environment, agriculture, and technology, is an elective class that connects students with real organizations such as Apple, Cisco, AI for Education, Microsoft, Terreform One, Adobe, Brooklyn Borough Hall, and the DOE’s Division of Instructional and Information Technology (DIIT).
Once a month, instead of going to class, students visit these sites to work on personalized projects related to HE³AT’s core fields.
“The purpose of HE³AT is to have high school juniors experience what a job in technology is like,” said Mark May ‘25, who is in AI for Education. “The program builds real-life work skills, presentation skills, and teamwork.”
Mr. Henry Mei, the teacher for HE³AT, is in his first year running the program.
“It’s definitely a learning experience,” said Mr. Mei. “I’m learning how to run the program with the students and structuring it with them along the way.”
Students in AI for Education, which hosts the biggest group from Midwood, focus on educating kids on the ethical uses of AI and on writing policies for schools. Once a month, students in AI for Education meet up at Manhattan’s Tweed Courthouse with students from other schools.
Jasmine Zhao ‘25 said this “bring[s] in the teamwork aspect of HE³AT, and it's pretty cool going to these places now and then.”
Elston Wu ‘25’s group is working on an AI policy for South Brooklyn High School that could also be used in a national bid for AI integration into schools. Zhao’s group is working on a public service announcement about AI policies for schools that addresses when it is acceptable to use AI, and accountability for students who break the policy.
“It’s a good experience overall for those going into the STEM field,” said Evan Liu ‘25. “The class teaches you how to work with others, and you get to learn from professionals.”
The class has two trips in April and May, and they’re working on a grand project for June, where they will present their topics to an audience.
“Their end-of-the-year showcase consists of a final project given to an audience of DOE personnel, HE³AT officials, and industry professionals,” said Mr. Mei. “It allows them to speak on a topic the students are passionate about and want to integrate into the industry.”
In case you’re interested in HE³AT, but you’re worried about missing a day of class each month, students say it hasn’t been a problem.
Liu said, “I take AP Lang, AP Comp Sci A, and Calc BC and also get my work done on time.”
This class is good for tech-savvy students who are interested in STEM because you can “explore and gain field experience in any of HE³AT’s values,” Wu said.
But it requires a good deal of independence, Zhao added.
“I wish I had something like this in high school,” said Mr. Mei. "The program is for those who want a new type of learning experience outside of the classroom. You learn to collaborate with others, and going on these trips to these industries gives you an experience you can’t recreate in school.”