Astronaut Leland Melvin wants young people to believe in themselves — and in the power of science, technology, engineering and math, aka STEM.
In December, Melvin spoke to more than 100 middle and high school students gathered at Virginia Commonwealth University for the Student Innovation Series CS Showcase, an event where student teams presented technology-based solutions to real-world business and consumer problems. The event was part of a three-year grant awarded to the VCU School of Education Center for Innovation in STEM Education.
Melvin traveled from his Lynchburg home — “I came with my flight suit on, to let [students] see what mission possible is,” he noted — to remind students that failure is part of learning and succeeding. He told students what he learned from “The Little Engine That Could” and “Curious George” books his mother, Grace, read to him as a child.
“No matter what Curious George did or the trouble he got into, there was one person for him: the man in the yellow hat,” Melvin said. “We have to find this person, each of us, this man or woman in the yellow hat who’s got your back, even if you fail, no matter what happens, someone to pick you up and put you back on the path. Find your purpose, what you love to do, and turn it into your daily thing.”
VCU Assistant Research Professor Al Byers, Ph.D., had met Melvin when he was directing NASA’s education efforts and Byers was working for the National Science Teachers Association. The two share a belief in the power of science to transform lives.
“This [initiative] is about sparking students’ creativity and their natural curiosity in and desire to learn in STEM-related areas,” Byers says. “If we can provide student-driven, hands-on challenging experiences that move beyond the classroom walls … we will not need to spend so much time on classroom management, or attempting to keep students ‘on task’ to minimize classroom disruptions, which too often happen because students are bored.”
Byers says he responded to a grant solicitation from the Virginia Department of Education because it aligned well with the Center for Innovation in STEM Education’s mission and encouraged partnerships to bring significant, real-world STEM experiences to students and teachers. For the December showcase, challenges were crafted by Bank of America, Capital One and CarMax, with each challenge representing a real issue from the submitting companies. The judging panel included representatives from each business as well as from grant partners CodeVA and CodeRVA Regional High School. Additional judges were staff from the VCU College of Engineering, the VCU da Vinci Center and the Virginia Department of Education.
Student teams represented Elko Middle School, Tucker High School and Freeman High School in Henrico; Binford Middle School and Richmond Community High School in Richmond; and Fitzgerald Middle School and Warwick High School in Newport News. For each challenge question, teams of three to five students took turns coming to the front of the auditorium to offer their research and solutions, most of which applied existing technology in new ways. Teams had to provide visuals, broadcast on a wall-sized screen, and have each member speak to the audience. At the conclusion of each presentation, a judge responded with feedback.
After the presentations, the judges conferred and tallied scores. Teams from Binford and Tucker were recognized with honorable mentions, while the Freeman teams won Best in Class. Each student on the winning teams received a medal. The Freeman and Tucker teams were invited to submit their ideas to the Conrad Challenge, a national competition scheduled for this spring at NASA’s Space Center Houston. Byers says funding is available for four Henrico teams to travel if they are selected. If the travel doesn’t happen, the money will be given to Henrico County Public Schools to advance computer science education within the district.
Freeman teacher Rick Orr Jr. says he got an “overwhelming” response from students in his Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles classes when he asked them in September if they were interested in the competition. Fifteen students formed three teams of five each, with one team tackling each challenge. The students worked on the competition as an extracurricular activity, meeting during study halls and after school.
“I’m always looking to give [students] an opportunity to put what they are learning into practice,” Orr says. “I was impressed [organizers had] given us real, current challenges for which there is no simple or obvious solution.”
Yvette Lee, the Tucker teacher, approached students within her AP CS classes but also invited students who weren’t enrolled in the classes to participate. She says students benefit from the process as well as the final product. “They learned how to brainstorm ideas, iterate their solutions after getting feedback and present in front of their classmates and judges,” she says. “I always look for a way to engage students with real-life applications and problem-solving.”
Both Orr and Lee noted that many of the students involved already had an interest in STEM, but the experience helped to solidify their commitment. Lee says students told her they particularly enjoyed learning about new technologies and working collaboratively.
“I liked trying to come up with an idea that hadn’t been thought of before,” Tucker High School student Sidney To says. “I also liked how me and my group members kind of bounced our ideas around to create a fuller development.”
The event is an opportunity for the sponsors, as well. Michael Karafotis, a data quality and control executive for Bank of America’s Global Technology, Operations, Strategy and Enterprise platforms, says building a pipeline of talent is “essential.”
“It’s part of sustainability for us,” he says. “We want to operate here, have good talent and give back here. We’re happy to partner with VCU because it creates great opportunities to get in front of students, to give them opportunities and insight.”
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