At Thursday’s STEM Wars, it was an IT student’s dream.
At the Science Technology Engineering and Math event organized by Dream It Do It of Western New York and held at the Physical Education Center of Jamestown Community College, students from local schools displayed and competed with their projects.
“We are thrilled to be present. This is a chance to bring together children from all of Chautauqua County and a few districts in Cattaraugus County. These children come here to compete with STEM projects they created at their local schools… Todd Tranum, Executive Director of Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier and President/CEO of Dream It Do It of Western New York, stated, “There’s a lot going on here, and it’s a terrific chance for these children to demonstrate their talents and abilities.”
Tranum continued by stating that MAST is interested in the event from a manufacturing standpoint. When John King, chancellor of the State University of New York, visited JCC on March 7, he toured the Manufacturing Technology Center and sat in on courses.
During his tour, King emphasized the significance of children having many entry points to the skills they would need in the industry. He stated that non-credit programs, certificate programs, and degree programs offered by the state’s community institutions can assist individuals get access to economic prospects. He noted that the United States as a whole is experiencing a manufacturing renaissance.
“In New York (state), innovative manufacturing is expanding, and we have the potential to equip people for fantastic careers,” he added.
Training begins in middle and high school, where students can get an understanding of manufacturing techniques. The kids that participated in the event, according to Tranum, represent the future workforce. Tranum stated, “This is an opportunity for us to get to know them.”
In addition to the competition, other tech employers were there to chat with students about prospects in the tech area.
According to the website for Dream It Do It, didiwny, “This is a truly hands-on event in favor of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), with a focus on the relationship between STEM and Manufacturing.”
Melissa Himes, director of Dream It Do It, stated that over thirty distinct school systems, including Southwestern Central School, Jamestown Public Schools, Falconer Central Schools, and Westfield Central Schools, were involved. At the event, kids from Brocton, Forestville, Cassadaga Central Schools, Salamanca, Pine Valley Central Schools, Chautauqua Lake Central School, and Panama competed.
Timothy Whitacre, a technology teacher at Persell Middle School, accompanied several of his students to the CO2 vehicle races.
“It is an automobile made from a block of wood that incorporates aerodynamics, mass, and drag. The objective is to construct the quickest automobile possible given the constraints (parameters) imposed by the lecturers. Whitacre stated, “there are specific prerequisites.”
Also, the website said that students design, construct, and race CO2 automobiles. Students will be ranked only based on their race results. Seven automobiles maximum per school. All vehicles will compete for time. Depending on the number of participants, the winner will be selected by the quickest time from the initial race.