While some students in the region were ‘walking out’ of their respective schools in protest, local Middle School students in Washington County, Florida were ‘stepping up’ to the challenge of learning life skills that will serve them well into their adult lives.
Over 200 6th grade students from Vernon, Florida Middle School and Roulhac Middle School in Chipley, Florida got a first-hand look at some of the newest science and technology this week, as educators, businesses and corporate entities helped to serve up a big slice of life, while perhaps even planting some ideas about what career paths the students might like to pursue.
Florida Panhandle Technical College hosted a four-day STEM session, an extension of a similar 2-day session held last December, through a grant from Motorola, dealing with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, on Monday, March 12 through Thursday, March 15, 2018 and the educational event was a huge success.
‘We had the chance to see here this week a lot of technology that maybe in the past we have only read about’, said one sixth grader in an interview.
Unmanned Aerial Systems, or ‘drones’, 3D printing, green screen video production, rocketry, electrical and electronic systems and underwater robots were all part of the week-long visit by the students, and instructors from the Technical College tailored programming to illustrate real-world use of these cutting-edge technologies, making the activities educational yet fun and exciting.
‘We are very excited to offer this opportunity to students. Hands-on learning is one of the most effective methods of learning new concepts. It brings learning to life before the student’s eyes’, states Lele Brock, FPTC Grants and Marketing Coordinator, and her sentiments are echoed by Florida Panhandle Technical College Director Martha Compton.
‘Northwest Florida job growth can be seen in STEM areas, from advanced manufacturing to the medical field to defense sector jobs’, says Compton. ‘Florida Panhandle Technical College prepares students for these jobs or for continuing their studies toward a degree at other colleges or universities, and I am so proud of the expert instructors at our college who contribute to this effort every day’.
This program, titled ‘STEM at Work’, was designed to spark an early interest in students for STEM subject areas and careers, as students enjoyed hands-on experience working side-by-side with industry experts, exploring and solving real-world problems, including aviation science, electrical engineering, aeronautical engineering, robotics, and 3D design.
However, ‘soft’ skills, including effective communication, were not overlooked. ‘We have been practicing doing interviews’, said one student on Tuesday afternoon, ‘and we are expected to enact the role of the interviewee and the interviewer, and we are learning to communicate more effectively’.
The activity referenced by this student was conducted in the campus audio and video production studio, and used green screen technology to teach practical exercises in communication.
Recently selected as one of the best colleges in Florida by BestColleges.com, the Florida Panhandle Technical College is providing college and career readiness training for all ages – high school students, high school graduates, and adults needing a new career opportunity or retraining.
‘I did not have any idea of the depth of instructional opportunities offered here at the technical college’, said one teacher in attendance, whose sentiments were echoed by second teacher.
‘We have toured the campus of Florida Panhandle Technical College in the past, but it was a very quick walk-through, and I am amazed at what they offer here on this campus’, said the teacher.
This week was just another example of how Florida Panhandle Technical College is leading the region in cutting-edge technology education and, with over 35 degree and certification programs, is helping people to find real, well-paid jobs in the region.
A large thanks also goes to FPTC Director Martha Compton and all the FPTC staff, instructors and support personnel, without whom the event would not have been possible.
Thanks also to Motorola, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Chipley Fire Department, One South Bank, Metric Engineering, Atkins, John Hansel (Retired Naval Engineer and Rocketry Instructor), Florida State University/ Panama City campus Engineering Program, Cindy Padgett, as well as Roulhac Middle School and Vernon Middle School Principals and 6th grade teachers.
‘This is an opportunity to educate the students, but our instructors also come away with a fresh new perspective’, said Compton following the sessions. ‘We want to thank our community partners, our school district and our staff for making this a very successful event’.
Florida Panhandle Technical College has enjoyed a strong dual-enrollment from local high schools, allowing graduating seniors to have a marketable job skill which they can use to help pay their way through a traditional four-year college, should they follow that career path.
For the second year in a row, Florida Panhandle Technical College has seen a significant increase in enrollment for the wide array of programs currently available on the downtown Chipley, Florida campus.
