Florida Panhandle Technical College in Chipley, Florida has supported hands-on STEM learning activities for 6th-grade students at Roulhac Middle School in Chipley and Vernon Middle School in Vernon for several years.
STEM, standing for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, represents the career fields in greatest demand for tomorrow’s workforce.
John Hansel, retired US Navy engineer and Navy Association of Rocketry engineer has been a very large part of those programs, providing, along with some of his associates from FSU Panama City Electrical and Computer Engineering Program, including Dr. Steve Brooks, Isaac Brooks, Emily Crews and Jennifer Canady, as well as Roulhac Middle School teacher Cindy Padgett, a fascinating look at practical applications of lessons learned from the rocket programs in the United States over the past 40 years.
Last week, Hansel was able to celebrate his TARC Team’s success in competition (Team AmTeam America Rocketry Challenge) at Florida Panhandle Technical College, accompanied by his team and some of his Middle School STEM students, as seen in these photos by Paje Menfi for Real Florida Media, a subsidiary of The Goulding Agency in Chipley, Florida.
Hansel had four goals for his TARC Team’s program- Application, Teamwork, Engineering Design and Physical Science, and on Wednesday, April 11 he shared with ‘Real Florida Magazine’ some of his thoughts on the program and the opportunity afforded these local students through the program.
The STEM students took the opportunity on Wednesday to thank Handel, affectionately known as ‘Rocket Man’, for all his time and effort, and a celebration ensued.
FPTC Director Martha Compton states, “Northwest Florida job growth can be seen in STEM areas, from advanced manufacturing to the medical field to defense sector jobs. FPTC can prepare students for these jobs or for continuing their studies toward a degree at other colleges or universities. I am so proud of the expert instructors at our college who contribute to this effort every day.”
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. Over half of the 35 career and technical programs at FPTC prepare students for STEM-related jobs.
Funding for the STEM at Work program is provided by the Motorola Solutions Foundation and awarded through the Florida Consortium of Educational Foundations. More information about the opportunities at the Florida Panhandle Technical College can be found by visiting www.fptc.edu, calling 638-1180, or stopping by the campus.
