Not All Great Minds Think Alike at Project Lead the Way Community Showcase

  • by Jennifer Kneuss
  • May 13, 2013
  • 428
                        
Summary: Top inventors and engineering students from Tuscarawas County school districts took part in the highly competitive Project Lead the Way Community Showcase. Take some of the best and brightest young scientific minds in Tuscarawas County and bring them together for a Project Lead the Way Community Showcase – that was the goal of organizers Steve Stokey of Allied Machine and Dr. Kamal Bichara, Director of Kent State Tuscarawas engineering programs. The Community Showcase did not disappoint those attending the 4th annual event on May 9 at the university branch campus. Students from Claymont, Dover, Indian Valley, New Philadelphia, Strasburg, and Tusky Valley school districts took part in classroom competition presentations, exhibits, and finally, the 6:30 PM Community Showcase, attended by several hundred people. During the Showcase, Stokey spoke of the many career opportunities available to students, pointing out that hundreds of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) related careers have bright job prospects for the future. “The top ten highest paying jobs for 2013 grads are, in order: petroleum, computer, and chemical engineering; computer science; aerospace, mechanical and electrical engineering; management information systems; engineering technology; and finance,” stated Stokey. “We want you to see there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 80% of the fastest growing professions are in STEM.” He noted that high schools, colleges, and the private sector need to work together to mentor and encourage the next generation of students and encourage them to pursue STEM related careers. Stokey went on to thank the several dozen local companies and foundations who make the Project Lead the Way program available to over 2,128 students in Tuscarawas County, with over $936,000 donated. Students from each school demonstrated projects they had completed, including inventions, elevators, robots, games, and complex computer programs with titles like ‘Elevate’, ‘Emergency Supply Organizer’, ‘What a Piece of Junk This Is’, ‘Autonomous Vex Robot’, and ‘IED and CIM CNC Collaboration’ at the Showcase, while others demonstrated their projects individually in classrooms or in the exhibit hall. During the Showcase, special recognition was given to Project Lead the Way teachers Jason Board of Dover and Debbie French of New Philadelphia, who will be leaving their districts at the end of the school year. Another highlight of the evening was the announcement of competition winners, who were awarded over four-foot high trophies to return to their home schools. Gateway to Technology winners were New Philadelphia Welty Middle School’s 6th graders Grant Daniels, Abigail Kneuss, Emma Stokey, and Charlie Swartzentruber with ‘Bed B Maid’ and 7th graders Alexander Brown, Mazen Diab, Joshua Kaiser and Mitchell Pipes with their ‘Cupcake-O-Mater’ inventions. Indian Valley’s 8th graders took first with ‘The Pneumatic Door’ presented by John Meek and James Metzger. In the high school division, the Introduction to Engineering Design award went to Kaley Coss of Tusky Valley for her ‘Roller Coaster Loop’, and Principles of Engineering was won by Tusky Valley team members Zachary Dozier, Dakota Kirtley, Joseph Smith, and Lucas Whitmer for ‘The Vehicle Launcher.’ Digital Electronics division winner for ‘Elevate’ went to Jacob Liston, Joshua Skirtich, and Alex Watson, also of Tusky Valley. Finally, CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing) Tusky Valley team competitors Zachary Mausolf. Brandon Rudd, Shaun Stotzer, Jameson Walter, and Tyler Zambo won for their ‘Custom Plaque’ entry, which included manufacturing the plaques presented to all of the Project Lead the Way sponsors in appreciation for their support. “Tonight, we want you to see what the best of the best is doing,” Stokey said to the crowd. “We are starting to see the high school graduates of the program enter college,” Dr. Bichara commented. “More of them are gravitating toward engineering and related careers, and are inspired by their own inner desires to do so.” Project Lead the Way is a school based program to encourage students to explore and pursue STEM careers. Gateway to Technology is the introductory middle school three year program, and a sequence of pre-engineering and bio-medical science courses for high school students is also offered. Contact Stokey at sstokey@alliedmachine.com or 330-343-4283, ext. 7227, or go online www.pltwohio.org for more information on the program.


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