Eighth graders at Albert Cammon Middle School recently got a bit of hands-on training in STEM.
IMTT representatives visited the school last week and used their scientific knowledge to enrich the students’ lesson, while at the same time illustrating the kind of real-world applications of the discussed concepts that could inspire a student to explore potential STEM career paths down the line.
The IMTT experts spoke to the students about bulk-liquid storage and helped facilitate some hands-on activities for the students to participate in – students observed how different liquids interact and discussed the engineering challenged of storing them safely.
The partnership is aimed at connecting classroom science directly to industry applications in a way that can prepare the students for future opportunities. The lesson extended throughout the school day.
“If you like this field – you like math, you like science, there are things you can do. And this helps highlight that,” said Ronny Seal, curriculum specialist of school-to-career for St. Charles Parish Public Schools. “And it’s local, right? You’re right down the street. It’s profound how that science thing they had to learn in class relates directly to some of the major processes that you have to put in place for young people to do it, and then they’re able to grasp that.
“There’s no better way that a school can do it because – parents can tell their young students that this is something you can explore, this is something you can learn and make use of later on (in industry). But they may not give it full attention or take it seriously enough.”
One exercise saw the students break into groups and illustrate on paper a tank heating concept – that led to discussions of how an approach can go wrong and the way to execute the scenario properly.
It challenged students to visualize how they’d approach the situation, and in the end illustrated the “why” of how professionals do things the way they do.
“If we’re getting a substance to go through a pump and all of a sudden it cools off, becomes a solid and clogs the pipe, that causes major problems,” Seal said. “It’s vital for them to understand that there’s certain things we need to know that we can restore.”
All of this allows students exposure to relevant examples of the concepts they’re learning, provided by people who use these concepts on a day-to-day basis.
“That helps them understand that entire world now,” Seal said. “And, in particular, IMTT who is here in this community. These students can say, hey, I never thought I’d become an environmental engineer or a heater operator, but if I can do that right here at home that might be a great plan.”
This is the second year that IMTT has visited Cammon. Rainey said expanding the program by working with Destrehan and Hahnville High School chemistry, classes is also being discussed.
Rainey said after the past two years, approximately 200 students now have a better understanding of how they can potentially one day make the most of these concepts.
“And at the end of the day, we have to teach these students science,” Seal said. “We have certain standards, and this is the standard we have to teach and they have to learn. So, it just makes sense to have somebody who is able to take what they’re learning and how to apply it to the real world.”
