FJA goes to NAU!

Jennifer Johnson from the College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Sciences (CEFNS) at NAU organized a full day tour for 7th and 8th grade students from Flagstaff Junior Academy to visit both the people and the places in arts and sciences at NAU.

Jen explained "... getting middle school aged kids excited about attending college is the primary goal for these visits. If I can show them how awesome a STEM education and career can be, that’s a bonus. High school groups get a more focused tour with discussions on specific majors and preparation for a STEM degree. If time allows, we throw in a hands-on activity or project. But again, it’s about getting them excited about college and helping them realize that it’s an achievable goal."

FJA students began their tour with Kirsten, a True Blue NAU Ambassador at the Health and Sciences building on north campus.

NAU Ambassadors first led the students on a one-hour tour, and then Jen Johnson and Randy Shannon (College of Arts and Letters) took students on a tour of North Campus including the School of Communications and the Performing and Fine Arts buildings.

After lunch at the Union, students toured South Campus including Engineering, Forestry, the Engineering Fabrication Lab (Machine Shop) with Lab Manager Perry Wood, Engineering Projects Room with Dr. John Tester, RAPIDLab (3D printing and CNC machining) with Engineer Jeremy Petak and the Research Greenhouse with Dr.Anita Antoninka.

FJA student enjoying the sculpture outside the NAU Engineering Fabrication Shop.

FJA science teacher Todd Saunders worked with Jen Johnson to organize the tour for the 80 students, and said "Jen was endlessly accommodating with our schedule and large group of students. Our goal was to make college more real for our students and to see science being done in our community. The students enjoyed visiting the dorm and were excited, imagining themselves living there. Additionally the Machine Shop and Research Greenhouse tour lit up many of our students who enjoy science, but who had trouble visualizing a science career."

Thank you, Jen and NAU for providing this great tour to future college students!

Anita Antoninka shows the students the NAU research garden on south campus.