Pathways to Engineering
The SFAz+8 Pathways Network is a three-year NSF-funded grant to Science Foundation Arizona (ended in 2018) that seeks to accelerate delivery of key STEM Pathway programs and activities through collaborations among eight rural Arizona community colleges including Coconino Community College to prepare more students with STEM certifications and degrees supporting workforce needs. You can access the Science Foundation website describing the full program here.
As part of the project, students from Gretchen Downey's 8th grade Middle School Institute of Technology and Engineering (MIT-e) at Sinagua Middle School took a field trip to Coconino Community College. The students toured the college and participated in two engineering challenges. Below, engineering instructor Philip Martinez led them in building cranes from shoe boxes donated by Flagstaff's Ross Dress for Less store. You can read the blog about this project here.
As part of the project, students from Gretchen Downey's 8th grade Middle School Institute of Technology and Engineering (MIT-e) at Sinagua Middle School took a field trip to Coconino Community College. The students toured the college and participated in two engineering challenges. Below, engineering instructor Philip Martinez led them in building cranes from shoe boxes donated by Flagstaff's Ross Dress for Less store. You can read the blog about this project here.
Other field trips supported by this grant include: a tour of Nestlé Purina, working on engines and chain saws with the Arizona Conservation Corps, touring Warner's Nursery, learning about bioscience and bioinformatics at TGen North, learning about forestry engineering with the US Forest Service, studying fish at Francis Short Pond with Arizona Game and Fish, and more!
Carrie Jenkins and Rick Treadway had their 7th grade students from Sinagua Middle School learn about water quality and basic hydrology at Slide Rock State Park (photos above and below). The students were participating in the Water Sample Week hosted by the Oak Creek Watershed Council, the University of Arizona and One for the Verde. You can read more about the field trip on this blog post. Partial funding for the field trip was also provided by the SFAz+8 Pathways grant.
If you are interested in helping students from Mt. Elden Middle School and Sinagua Middle School learn more about the engineering involved in your company or agency, please contact the STEM Coordinator.