The students of the college and secondary school of the whole state have met challenges with the professors of the engineering department, have developed leadership skills and built the community through programs within Quad Innovation.
Share:
The students of the college and high school of the whole state tasted at Elon University on January 24, when the Ministry of Engineering welcomed the STEM Leadership conference of the NC Technology Student Association.
About fifty students participated in the conference, focused on the theme “Engine your future”. The event of half a day in the innovation and founders rooms included challenges led by teachers of the Ministry of Engineering, workshops on leadership with the peers of NCTSA and a session with representatives of the office Elon admissions.
The NCTSA is part of the National Technology Student Association, nourishing expertise in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and commercial education. The chapters exist in state colleges and high schools, and members are invited to several conferences each year, as well as regional, state and national STEM competitions.
“The beauty of the NCTSA is that we focus on building leadership and STEM services alongside competitive events,” said Jerianne Taylor, State Councilor and Executive Director of the NCTSA. “We want to develop them as future STEM leaders and develop the sustainable skills they will need in their careers, such as teamwork and communication. These events also strengthen the community among our students, which is very important for us an organization. »»
John Ring, director of awareness engineering at the Ministry of Engineering, worked with Taylor to organize the event.
“All these students are leaders of the NCTSA chapters of their own schools, so we know that they are interested in STEMs and will probably continue the STEM quarries,” said Ring. “It was a great way to bring them to Elon, show them our campus and give them an idea of what Elon engineering is, while having fun.”
With the associate professor of engineering Jon Su and the assistant engineering professor Blake Hament, Ring conducted an exercise where the teams were challenged to design and build towers inside Hunt Atrium. Students used masking adhesive tape, balloons, skewers and popsicle sticks and asked to create the highest possible perch for a tennis ball.
Upstairs, the leaders of the NCTSA asked students to browse their blindfolds through labyrinths made from balloons and orange cones, with teammates leading them to the touchline.
Ted Boulanger, second year student at Apex Friendship High School in Apex, North Carolina, and the NCTSA sergeant in Arms, said that events held on Friday helped him find the community and to grow as a leader.
“Nctsa really helped me find my people and get out of my shell, and I think that is a large part of the reason why I am the leader I am today,” said Boulanger. “We want to encourage NCTSA students to be leaders and make them comfortable having leadership roles. These are things you need on the job market. »»