Not too long from now the world might be introduced to the next technological revolution from an innovator educated right here in Dallas. One Dallas ISD school may be making headway to ensure this innovator is a woman through its involvement in an innovative new program that introduces young people to engineering early.

Nearly right off the bus from visiting NASA’s JohnsonSpaceCenter, the 6^th grade women at Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s LeadershipSchool began their week finishing their own engineering projects with the objective of improving an existing technology product or creating a product that fulfills a need within the community. Monday was designated as a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Day, during which the day was designated to complete their projects.            

This year Irma Rangel’s 6^th grade has worked to incorporate STEM learning throughout the curriculum, exposing students to the different fields and opportunities within engineering and providing hands-on opportunities that allow students to learn from doing. During the fall, students visited local engineering industries like Raytheon. The following semester and during their classes, students used the knowledge from their visits and applied it to their projects.

“I have seen a change in the way they view engineering. At the beginning of the year the girls were put off by the prospect of engineering, and now we see the excitement and interest they have in engineering and innovation through this project,” Rosa Herrera, science teacher at Irma Rangel said.

Time, thought, teamwork and innovation went into these projects. Teams of about four to five girls worked together inventing a product. Their ideas like the “MAS: Motion Activated Shower,” the “Ashcan”- a product that would eliminate trash in landfills, and even an MP3 watch are all products that could find a place in society once the required patents and testing are acquired and approved.

The girls have used class time to fully develop these products. They have conducted surveys and have learned the business aspects of what goes into marketing a product, learning about their target audience and why their product supersedes the competition. In social studies the young ladies gained a better perspective of their product by understanding the history of it. By creating a visual timeline, they learn how similar products have changed over the years. They charted and graphed their findings in math. Through it all, they pitch and trouble-shoot their ideas to package an efficient product. They will even use Windows Movie Maker in reading class to produce a commercial that will market their product to their public.

Carolyn, a 6^th grade student at Irma Rangel said she has learned more about engineering this year through the project and field trips, like their most recent overnight trip to the Johnson Space Center. She said now she has a better understanding of what engineering is about.

“Before I just thought it was like construction work but it’s actually about solving problems,” Carolyn said.

Irma Rangel as well as ArcadiaParkElementary School, Pearl C. Anderson Middle Learning Center and the Dallas Environmental Science Academy are the first Dallas ISD schools to participate in a premiere pilot program in North Texas that is strengthening education in science, technology, engineering and math in 6^th grade classrooms through the first annual DFW Semiconductor and Technology Executive Council’s (S-TEC) Campus STEM Leadership Program. Together, the schools collaborated with leaders and engineers within the program to develop the umbrella project in which each school participated; improving an existing technology product or creating a new one that demonstrates a need within the community.

The success of the STEM Leadership Program has encouraged the schools involved to continue to implement its fundamentals. On May 8, all four schools will be recognized as STEM Leader Schools by the board of DFW S-TEC for their successful completion of the program.

“We will continue the project because it presented a good opportunity to overlap different subject matters such as tying science to reading and connecting social studies to math. It was also an excellent team-building method allowing the 6^th graders to get to know one another as they entered into the DallasEnvironmentalScienceAcademy for the first time,” said Jonathan Parker, career and technology teacher at the DallasEnvironmentalScienceAcademy.