ADA, OH (WLIO) - Ohio Northern University creates an opportunity for local middle schoolers to make real-world connections, our Madison Kenjura has the story.
Students from Heir Force Community School traveled to Ada for a day of workshops, inquiry, and hands-on learning through the PPG grant at Ohio Northern University.
"The purpose of the grant is for us to develop partnerships with area schools, and they are STEM partnerships; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. And we've tried a couple of different ways and this year our model, we've really been pleased with. We've been bringing the students onto campus. We'll bring students from area schools and they're here for a day," explained Tom Zechman, assistant dean of ONU's College of Engineering.
The middle schoolers attended three separate workshops that focused on civil, mechanical, and electric engineering, as well as robotics. During their second workshop students competed against one another by building hoverboards.
"So, this hoverboard project is a little hoverboard and we make cardboard, we make a little skirt, we put a fan in the middle, and we even made the fan possible with batteries and stuff. Then, we would test it out on a little cardboard thing over there and then we would see who got the fastest and record it," said Hailey Hinkle, a 5th-grade student.
Building the hoverboard took teamwork and many of the students even said the competition helped them learn how to better communicate with their peers.
"So, me and my friends just communicated with each other and used our minds to create something great. At first, ours wouldn't move at all and then we just made it move because we had created a different design that helped us with our minds and all of that. So it just helped us be more responsive to each other," stated Kahalio Simpson, an 8th-grade student.
"To see them work as teams, to see them take a creative design process, and actually see a product come to fruition is amazing. It's remarkable, I couldn't be more proud," commented Dr. Willie Heggins, principal of Heir Force Community School.
"Part of the fun is the wonder that you see in their eyes. They look around and see older students, see actual college labs and using the facilities and they experience the life of the building but they bring new life to the building as well," said Zechman.
The workshop also brings students new opportunities by showing them the different type of careers engineers has to offer.
"It helps me learn the varieties between jobs that you can do and what you can be. Because some people think you can just be a basketball player, football player when there's many other things that you can do rather than that," added Simpson.
