MESA, AZ — One of the biggest corporations in the country is partnering with Mesa Public Schools.
Students as young as elementary school-aged are seeing how STEM education can be used in the real world.
A group of Valley 5th graders created a prototype of a sustainable house complete with farm animals and solar panels.
”It’s a lot more hands-on and I do better with hands-on things,” said Paige, a 6th grader who learned everything it takes to build rockets.
Ashley Painter, a Red Mountain High School senior, helped design a mobility project so a member of her community can walk independently.
These types of projects were on display Wednesday at Red Mountain High School.
All of it was made possible in part thanks to science, technology, engineering, and Math or STEM.
Younger students were also introduced to ‘thinker spaces’ to invoke the design.
Like the elementary kids who had an environmentally friendly idea for an old classroom.
“You guys are going to help design a new sustainable outdoor classroom,” said Madilyn.
These projects are part of a new and growing partnership with Honeywell Aerospace.
What happens in those ‘thinker spaces’ can evolve into a reality with project mentors from the makers of all things aviation products.
The program includes parent and career seminars to spread awareness about industry opportunities, and thinker spaces for elementary students urge design and interaction.
Real Honeywell Aerospace employees mentor projects at the high school level.
”They would help us with planning,” said Painter. “It’s nice to get an idea of what we’re about to get into.”
A STEM Advisory Committee helps students see how STEM is used in the real world with on-site exposure. And a Graduation-Plus Model helps create opportunities for all Mesa students to build a body of work to use in the community after their grade school years.
For Painter, the partnership led to an internship.
“It’s so exciting, hearing the intern mentors kind of give us an idea of what our future could look like,” she said.
”It’s a great example of how a corporation can work with a public school system,” said Mike Madsen, Honeywell Aerospace President, and CEO
Madsen says as more tech companies move to the valley, the need for STEM-educated employees.
This partnership creates the road map for students to one day know what it takes to solve our world’s modern problems.
“You can talk all day long but when you see a water rocket go off, and you see the concept of action and reaction it really plants that seed of curiosity. Then they ask questions and one thing leads to another – next thing you know they’re working at Honeywell as an engineer,” said Madsen.
It’s only a matter of time.
