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Partnership to Bring Science Projects to Life

$30,000 contribution from AT&T will help SJCOE fund high school engineering and robotics projects

A $30,000 contribution from AT&T creates an opportunity for high school students in five counties to hone their engineering skills by supporting the new San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) Student Engineering & Robotics Project.

“This contribution from AT&T helps us encourage creativity by giving students the resources to build robotic projects that they propose and design,” said San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools James Mousalimas. “This is a perfect example of a public-private partnership.”

Students can apply to participate by submitting a concept of a robotics project they want to build. The SJCOE will accept proposals from up to 30 high school applicants from San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne, and Amador counties. Students whose proposals are accepted will receive $560 to build their engineering and robotics projects.

“AT&T is committed to empowering young students to enter STEM-related fields and train for careers in tech, so we’re thrilled to help the County Office expand this program that gives kids real, practical experience to explore their creativity,” said Julie Tone, AT&T director of external affairs.

Students are becoming better engineers in the classroom, but it takes more than innovation to complete an engineering or robotics project.

“The kids are hitting the road block of coming up with the pieces and parts to make all these projects,” said Stephan Unterholzner, who was an instructor who came to show off the kind of projects his students at Sierra High School in the Manteca Unified School District are capable of, including a remote-controlled quadcopter.

Jim Bock, a teacher at the SJCOE’s Venture Academy brought both a ‘copter and an underwater vehicle his students made. He said students learn by tinkering with their projects, solving engineering problems, and making something that can fly in the sky or plunge under water.

“I really want them to figure out the solutions,” he said.

Both instructors saw a need for the extra support this contribution could bring to proposals from their students.

A committee will score proposals based on the students’ engineering design process, creativity, and attention to safety, environmental impacts, and work environment. Throughout the project duration, students will be given a timeline of benchmarks and completion dates.

Students will present their final project to a panel, who will provide feedback to students in June 2016.

The deadline for applications in this round is Oct. 31. For more information about how to apply go to http://www.sjcoescience.org/ or contact the SJCOE STEM Department at: (209) 468-4880.

Posted: 10/9/2015