IEEE Program Schools Preuniversity Educators On Tech Topics

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/close-up-of-a-black-womans-hands-as-she-creates-a-model-of-a-microchip.jpg?id=68577703&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=156%2C0%2C156%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Now in their third year, the <a href="https://tryengineering.org/home/tryengineering-educator-sessions/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE TryEngineering educator sessions</a> continue to empower preuniversity teachers with specialized professional development programs on engineering topics and classroom-tested lessons.</p><p>This year’s sessions, held across the United States, have focused on educating teachers about <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/70-years-of-artificial-intelligence" target="_self">artificial intelligence</a> and <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/topic/semiconductors/" target="_self">semiconductor</a> technology. One session was held in Egypt.</p><p>In all, 54 educators learned about the <a href="https://tryengineering.org/explore-resources/pedagogical-approach/edp-habits-of-mind/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">engineering design process</a> this year. They received an overview of TryEngineering resources including the <a href="https://tryengineering.org/resource/lesson-plan/making-of-a-microchip/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Making of a Microchip</a> and <a href="https://tryengineering.org/resource/lesson-plan/train-your-tree-how-ai-learns-to-decide/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Train Your Tree</a> lesson plans.</p><p>Workshops are scheduled this year in Greece and Guatemala.</p><p>The <a href="https://tryengineering.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TryEngineering</a> program is administered by <a href="https://ea.ieee.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Educational Activities</a>. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="A dozen people smiling together in business casual attire." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5794ca65aed88cc84eafcf721d826f46" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="6f0a9" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-dozen-people-smiling-together-in-business-casual-attire.jpg?id=68577723&width=980"/> <small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">These teachers and guest speakers attended the two-day session held at the Florida Semiconductor Institute and SkyWater Technology chip manufacturing facility.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">IEEE Educational Activities</small></p><h2>A network of host universities</h2><p>Central to the educator session program’s success is its university network. Host campuses welcome teachers into their facilities, where faculty provide background information about some of the technologies being taught, as well as possible engineering career paths and job opportunities for students.</p><p>This year’s sessions involved the educators in hands-on projects. Facilitators at each location were selected based on their experience in engineering education, and they worked with the TryEngineering staff on their presentations.</p><p><a href="https://www.gis-cairo.com/" target="_blank"><strong>GEMS International School</strong></a><strong> </strong><strong></strong></p><p>Sixteen teachers from nine schools participated in the session, held in Cairo. It was facilitated by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marwasoudi/?isSelfProfile=false" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marwa Soudi</a>, an IEEE member, and Senior Member <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stamatis-dragoumanos-33b05728/?isSelfProfile=false" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stamatis Dragoumanos</a>. Both are past chairs of the IEEE preuniversity coordinating committee. GEMS provided outstanding STEM facilities for teachers, Saudi and Dragoumanos said. Participants received an overview of the <a href="https://tryengineering.org/resource/lesson-plan/working-wind-energy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Working With Wind Energy</a> and <a href="https://tryengineering.org/resource/lesson-plan/tall-tower-challenge/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tall Tower Challenge</a> lesson plans.</p><p>Another educator session is scheduled for later this year.</p><p><a href="https://www.ufl.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>University of Florida</strong></a></p><p>Educators from across the state gathered at the university’s <a href="https://fsi.institute.ufl.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Florida Semiconductor Institute</a>, headquartered in Gainesville, and FSI’s NeoCity high-tech manufacturing campus near Orlando. The session was hosted by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/proud2teach/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Roseanne Perez</a>, an FSI workforce development program specialist, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-watson-61b24b316/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sophia Watson</a>, FSI’s assistant director of workforce development. The two-day experience featured an inside look at microelectronics through a guided tour of a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/skywater-technology-foundry/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SkyWater Technology</a> chip manufacturing facility.</p><p>Engineering instructor <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-acken-0513b6141/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mary Acken</a> facilitated hands-on lesson demonstrations for the 15 attending teachers.</p><p>Reflecting on the workshop’s impact, one participant said the SkyWater tour was excellent, the instructors were great, and the teachers enjoyed learning from like-minded educators.</p><p><a href="https://asuonline.asu.edu/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=br_main_asu_non&utm_campaign=22-nat_acq-hi_br_main_non_gg&utm_ecd22=22&utm_term=arizona+state+university&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=10205493793&gbraid=0AAAAACemS5WleSIn55HfNYDMlFVgHaYD9&gclid=CjwKCAjwkbzEBhAVEiwA4V-yquPlQDptjG5n0Zh1kuLIkkKfHzl277bZiilzF3UfWIvp6P4jGxnyMBoCnZgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Arizona State University</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mnkozicki/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michael Kozicki</a>, an IEEE member, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-myhajlenko-8aa2b68/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stefan Myhajlenko</a> from the university’s engineering school welcomed 11 Arizona teachers to the Tempe campus.</p><p>The session was facilitated by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartkopfjr1330/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Janet Hartkopf</a>, an Arizona school leader and a former TryEngineering educator session participant. Hartkopf highlighted collaborative learning, the need for diverse perspectives in engineering education, and career paths.</p><p>The teachers received instruction on how to implement the hands-on lessons in their classrooms, and they toured the<a href="https://cores.research.asu.edu/nanofab/about" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> university’s NanoFab</a> facility to observe microelectronics research.</p><p>“This training was amazing!” said a participant who leads an elementary after-school STEM club. “I loved the hands-on lessons and <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ieee-stem-books-tweens-tryengineering" target="_self">e-books</a>, which I will definitely be using with my students. I am excited to explore all the resources on the TryEngineering website. The experts from ASU were great.”</p><p><a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/home" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>University of Minnesota</strong></a></p><p>Sixteen STEM educators attended this session, held at the university’s <a href="https://iib.umn.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">International Institute for Biosensing</a> in Minneapolis. Its director, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-khashayar-38a59970/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Patricia Khashayar</a>, an IEEE member, introduced participants to the capabilities of the university’s <a href="https://msi.umn.edu/getting-started/about-msi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Supercomputing Institute</a> and <a href="https://cse.umn.edu/mnc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nano Center</a>.</p><p>Under the guidance of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-dietz-99b425102/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Claire Dietz</a>, an education and outreach coordinator, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/pam-schumacher-66584142/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pam Schumacher</a>, an instructor at <a href="https://www.saintpaul.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">St. Paul College</a>, the teachers completed classroom-ready lessons including a photonics experiment using the Nano Center’s equipment. Schumacher attended last year’s TryEngineering educator session.</p><p>Nano Center Director <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-swisher-60ba0141/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sarah Swisher</a>, an IEEE senior member, provided an overview of semiconductor operations and highlighted growing job opportunities for the state’s young people.</p><p>The experience inspired all 16 teachers to plan student field trips to the Nano Center during the upcoming academic year, they said.</p><p>“Great class!” one participant said. “I’m excited to bring some of the TryEngineering materials back to our school.”</p><p>This year’s sessions built on the momentum from last year when, with financial support from <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ieee-tryengineering-onsemi-grant" target="_self">Onsemi’s Giving Now program</a>, nearly 80 teachers attended sessions across five U.S. states and Mexico.</p><p>Driven by that success and the demand for more, the <a href="https://ea.ieee.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Educational Activities Board</a> continued its support. Upcoming global sessions are expected to expand the program’s international footprint.</p><p>“I appreciated the time to collaborate with peers on how to implement hands-on lessons,” one participating teacher this year said. Some participants said they planned follow-up visits with the experts and campus tours.</p><p>You can learn more about the sessions by emailing <a href="mailto:tryengineering@ieee.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TryEngineering</a>.</p>