Three new Summer Institutes are available for Teacher Professional Development. Choose
to attend this summer 2013. Application deadlines are May 20, 2013. The institutes are coordinated by the Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education.
Alt “Spring” Break
One of the student groups ventured to Silicon Valley, where they visited high-tech giants, including Brocade Communications and their board chairman Dave House ’65.
The students also visited Autodesk, Google, Cisco, Kyocera, and Tesla, some of which employ Michigan Tech alumni. Students learned about the technology of these cutting-edge corporations, career paths in Silicon Valley, and successful business strategies.
Krista Anderson, a psychology major from Kingsford, agreed. “Being able to be part of this experience definitely reassured me that I want to work for a high-tech company someday.”
“The evening was a great success with over 130 parents and children!” said Joy Reynolds, science teacher at Ludington Magnet Middle School. Clippert Academy Middle School had similar numbers. Science teacher Tracy Ortiz said that they had nearly 100 students attending, plus their parents, at Family Engineering Night.
“This is a great way to increase diversity on our campus, but more importantly, to have students who can relate to these kids and show them that a college education and a career in STEM is possible for them,” said Joan Chadde, education/outreach coordinator for the Western UP Center for Science, Math, and Environmental Education, who accompanied the students.
Read more at TechAlum Newsletter, by Dennis Walikainen.
Spring Break: A Chance to Explore, Learn, Inspire Others
The Tech students held Family Engineering Nights at schools. These events are designed to involve the entire family in games that introduce participants to engineering and scientific principles in a fun and engaging way.
Seeing how excited the kids were by the activities inspired Niekeiya Williams. “This trip was a chance to do something rewarding,” she says. “It really reaffirmed my decision to further my education.”
Read more at Tech Today, by Travis Gendron.