ENGINEERING BLING
In April we started an after-school Engineering Club lead by Battelle designers Chris Brandon and Steve Madland. Chris and Steve got involved with Metro when Battelle and PTC, the makers of ProE design software, collaborated to provide training and licenses to teachers and students at Metro and other Franklin County high schools.
In September, a poll showed only 8 students were interested in Engineering careers, but this month 50 kids (half the school!) signed up for Engineering Club. Why the change? After taking an Engineering Survey class and playing with ProE in their Physics class (yes, these 9th graders took both this year) the Principal says they’ve erased the stereotype that Engineering is “that scary, horrible Math thing.”
To reward their interest, Chris and Steve proposed that Battelle present each club member with “Engineering Bling” - a USB flash drive on Team Battelle lanyards. This allows them to transport files to their home computers (the seat licenses are for school and home use).
A highlight of the first club meeting: FedEx boxes filled with random items such as drinking straws, clay, rubber gloves, small pvc pipe, etc. were distributed. Teams had 10 minutes to design a raft (ala Tom Hanks in Castaway) that would stay afloat to rescue “Chuck and Wilson” (a doll and golf ball) from the deserted island. The raft designs were tested in a tub of water, and they were quite innovative. It was so much fun it even made me want to be an engineer and I don’t think anyone is going to be dropping out of this club! They meet every Wednesday from 2:30-4. Contact Chris or Steve if you have any ideas for club projects or want to get involved.
- - Posted May 14, 2007 - -
Diana Wolterman is on a two-year special assignment to Metro High School, where she will play a key role in furthering the collaboration between the private sector and education, including special projects to connect Battelle staff with the activities in the school, assisting with tours and visits, developing and implementing new experience-based curriculum support, and helping to document the process of creating a new STEM-focused learning experience. Diana also will document Battelle’s successes and missteps at Metro to help the organization learn from the experience and make good decisions going forward at Metro and in other educational activities.