Engineering Workshop Prepares Students for Global Workforce
The need for students to be prepared to work in the math and science fields is growing exponentially. Jobs in the global economy require that individuals be well versed in technologies that keep society moving. Project SYNCERE (Supporting Youths Needs with Core Engineering Research Experiments), is helping to fulfill this requirement and exposes minority students to the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.
Project SYNCERE serves students in grades k-12; however, it is designed to target elementary school students to pique their interest toward a career in the science field.
On Oct.22 the organization launched a new program, Emerging Engineers that meets every other Saturday at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC).
The programs objective is to provide students with a comprehensive STEM program that will build their skills in math, science and engineering.
Out of 100 applicants, only 40 were selected for the program: 20 middle school and 20 high school. The students are from numerous schools across the city including Kenwood Academy, Lane Tech and Nicholson.
The Chicago Citizen recently interviewed Jason Coleman, co-founder and executive director of Project SYNCERE. Coleman attended Whitney Young Magnet High School and earned a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California in 2001.
He explained the purpose of the Emerging Engineering program and what parents can do to get their children more involved in math and science.
We designed the program for students who have a sincere interest in pursuing engineering as a future profession. Students were selected for the program through a rigorous application process. Our goal is to provide students with a nurturing and educational environment to build their skills and understanding in the engineering fields. Our hope is that we will fulfill our mission, which is to increase the number of minority, female, and underserved students pursuing careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), he said.
During the ten week program, students in Emerging Engineers work hands-on while learning state of the art technology. The activities also teach the students to incorporate math and science to solve everyday problems.
The middle school students will explore mechanical engineering as they create 3D designs of various products using Google Sketch-Up. The high school students will explore civil engineering as they design and build a skyscraper and test the efficiency of their designs by simulating an earthquake. We plan to offer the same program in the Spring and indefinitely thereafter so the curriculum will change and evolve, Coleman said.
He adds that parents can get their children more involved with math and science by making a commitment to help them succeed academically.
Parents also need to keep their child engaged by seeking out programs like ours and having them participate outside of school and demand the child's schools are doing their best to make learning math and science interesting during the school day. Parents can also find suitable mentors in the STEM fields to help mentor their kids, he said.
Students interested in the Emerging Engineers Program should send an e-mail to Project SYNCERE at info@projectsyncere.org and request to be added to the organizations mailing list. For additional information please log on to www.projectsyncere.org
by Thelma Sardin
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