Kent teachers selected for Engineering Fellows program | BRIEFS
Published 5:07 pm Monday, July 25, 2016
Six Kent School District fifth-grade teachers are participating in the Washington STEM and Washington MESA Engineering Fellows program.
Engineering Fellows is a highly competitive program that brings engineering expertise directly into fifth-grade classrooms around the state.
Thirty-fifth grade teachers from the Yakima Valley and King County will collaborate collaborating with professional engineers and college and graduate engineering students to design and implement engineering design challenges that are integrated with their local curriculum.
Participants from Kent are Douglas Ferguson, Martin Sortun Elementary School; Julie Hagen, Covington Elementary School; Amanda Henry, Meridian Elementary School; Catie Larsen, Covington Elementary School; Donna Pearson, East Hill Elementary School; and Wendi Warren, Carriage Crest Elementary.
“Teachers and engineers will work together through the Engineering Fellows program to create a high-quality STEM experience for Washington students,” Patrick D’Amelio, chief executive officer of Washington STEM, said in a media release. “Washington state is No. 2 in STEM job availability, and Engineering Fellows will ensure students are ready to take advantage of these great opportunities.”
The engineering fellows are taking part in an intensive Summer Design Institute at the University of Washington. The fellows will develop a menu of design challenges and teaching plans to be used during the 2016-2017 school year.“The participating teachers and engineering practitioners are lending their experience and expertise to elevate instructional strategies to better engage and inspire the next generation of engineers, scientist and leaders,” James Dorsey, chief executive officer of Washington MESA, said.
During the school year, students will benefit from the experience of their teachers as they engage in design challenges. The fellows will meet throughout the year for Saturday sessions to reflect upon and refine the design challenges. Over the next three years, Washington STEM and Washington MESA plan to expand the program to ensure that almost 200 fifth-grade teachers are equipped, empowered, and well-supported to engage students in engineering design challenges based on real-world problems.
Elsewhere
Connor Folsom of Kent recently graduated with an associate of applied science degree in computer technology from Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf. … The following students from Kent earned their degrees at Whitworth University: Abigail Allen (bachelor of arts, business management, cum laude); Flannery Allen (master’s in teaching, secondary education); Kelsey Nolan (B.A., elementary education, magna cum laude); and Olivia Rogers (B.A., communication, summa cum laude). …
