DRSS Celebrates Vectren Day!

6th grade students ask questions of Vectren Representatives during their Engineering Enrichment course.

Kettering, OH - On Thursday, April 20, 2017, DRSS Representatives Kirk Barrett (Conservation Representative), David Lowe (Gas Distribution Engineer), Teresa Smith (Mechanical Engineer), and Rachel Goodspeed (Community Affairs) came to celebrate our first annual Vectren Day at DRSS. Their visit comes as part of the the school's partnership with Vectren, known as the "DRSS Engineering Career Tech Pathway Powered by Vectren," which kicked off at the start of the 2016-17 school year.

The day began with a talk to Ms. Reilly's Environmental Engineering class. Mr. Barrett provided students with an overview of its energy conservation program, and how and why Vectren seeks to help homes and businesses become more energy efficient through a variety of incentive programs. Following his presentation, Mr. Lowe and Ms. Smith joined him on a panel to answer questions.

Mr. Barrett provides students with an overview of what Vectren does and what programs he works on.

The students had many questions, ranging from energy efficiency to the impact of government regulations on the energy industry, all of which the Vectren representatives were happy to discuss.

At the end of their Q&A session, Mr. Barrett gave the students some advice for when they're considering where to go to college, telling them to ask themselves, "Does the school you're applying to have a co-op program? That's a question you should ask, especially in Engineering."

Mr. Lowe answers questions during the Q&A portion of their visit with the Environmental Engineering class.

When talking about how he ended up doing what he's doing now, he added, "Sometimes it's the little decisions you make and contacts you have along the way that make the big differences in your career, and you never know where your career is going to take you."

After speaking to the high school students, the Vectren representatives visited the 6th grade Engineering Enrichment course to talk to those students about what they do and the tools they use to do their jobs.

Students had many questions for them, asking them about everything from what they need to do to get into a career in Engineering to what they like most about their jobs.

"I've done everything at Vectren all the way from crawling around in boilers to working on a computer, and I love them both," Ms. Smith explained when asked about what her job looks like on a day to day basis.

"I like problem-solving, because that's really what Engineering is, and I get a chance to use my brain to dig into a problem and figure it out," Ms. Smith answered in response to a question about her favorite part of her job. "I've done everything from driving a bulldozer to designing a power plant during my time at Vectren," Ms. Smith told the students.

Mr. Lowe and Mr. Barrett demonstrate some of the tools they use on a daily basis to help them perform their jobs.

"I helped design the infrastructure that goes into Scene 75," explained Mr. Lowe. "It's fun because you get to do the whole thing on the projects we work on, from the design and specifications to talking directly with the customers about any special design needs they may have."

Engineering teacher, Kathryn Reilly was grateful for their visit, noting, "It's a great opportunity for our students to hear from real-life engineers about the kinds of projects they're working on. It gives students a concrete picture of what their career could look like if they decide to pursue a career in Engineering."

Vectren's not just a gas company, they are a great community partner as well! Thank you to Vectren for powering our bright future!

Students Travel to Local Parks to Study Water Quality

An example of a "Research Tree" students created to help guide their research.

By Katie Jones

The end of the school year is less than two months away, but that doesn’t mean students aren’t doing anything in their classes. The juniors have another joint project between their Technical Reading and Writing (TRW) and Chemistry classes. This time, instead of writing instructions, students will be writing a manuscript. The manuscript project will last until the end of the year, and students will be doing a variety of things for this project.

The juniors will be learning how to conduct and communicate research, test water, and compose a scientific manuscript. By doing each of these things students will increase their understanding of compiling research to provide context for their original research as well as communicating their research in the way that scientific journal articles would.

Specific to Chemistry, students will be focusing on acids and bases, the design of a research project, and solution concentrations/calculations. In TRW, the juniors’ learning will be more research and writing oriented. They will compile outside research into an annotated bibliography and use that research to write a scientific manuscript. Scientific manuscripts are unpublished research articles. In addition, students will have the opportunity to send their manuscript off for publication in various high school science journals.

Before writing the manuscript though, students had to first create a research question. For some groups, this was a rather long process with many revisions to the original question. One of the ways students refined their questions was by creating a research tree. These “trees” had the driving question of the entire project at the bottom, with the students’ own question on the tree trunk. Each group then added branches to the tree which had suggestions of things to look up that related to their questions.

However, research trees aren’t the only resource available to the juniors. To help in the process of creating this manuscript, several outside guests have or will come present to the juniors. These presenters include Chad Hammerschmidt, who is an Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor and Director of Graduate Programs at Wright State University (WSU) and Deanne French, a Statistical Consultant at WSU. Kate Excoffon, Associate Professor and Biological Sciences Associate Professor at Wright State University, will also be speaking.

However, what many students are most looking forward to are the field trips that they will be going on for this project. The juniors will go on field trips to the pond behind DRSS, Delco Park, and Woodmen Fen. Along with these three locations, they will also visit bodies of water/wetlands in and near various MetroParks like Wegerzyn Gardens, Island MetroPark, and Eastwood. Alyssa Jackson, one of the students going on the field trips, says that, “I really like that we get to go on an all-day field trip. I’m especially excited to visit the ponds.” Mrs. McDaniel, the TRW teacher, is similarly looking forward to the project stating that, “One of the things I’m most excited about is getting outside when the weather is going to be warmer, watching students do research, and then learning how to really communicate their research like they will in the real world and in their future career fields.”

Students Receive Career Advice from Healthcare Professionals at First Healthcare Industry Day

A large group of students interested in the healthcare industry took part in Healthcare Industry Day on March 28 and had the opportunity to ask questions of current healthcare professionals about a field each of them hopes to enter.

By Maya Quale

 

On Tuesday March 28, the Dayton Regional STEM School hosted its first Health Professions Day. Healthcare professionals from a variety of fields in the Dayton area came to partake in an event that gave DRSS students a chance to explore the career possibilities of the Medical field, including Wright State University, Premier Health, Maple Tree Cancer Alliance, Dayton Children’s Hospital, Dayton Clinical Oncology Program, and Woodman Drive Animal Hospital.

Being a health professional is not solely comprised of doctors and nurses. While it is a major aspect of it, there are also physician’s assistants, physical therapists, epidemiologists, business professionals, and administrative nurses. These are just a few examples of a variety of career paths a person could take. During the session, professionals gave an example of how a resident nurse climbed the ladder and became President of Premier Health: her name is Mary H. Bossalis.

This event was set up so that everyone was sitting in a circle and students were able to ask various questions about what it means to be a health professional. Jake Ballard, class of 2017, said, “I think it’s really interesting because I already had my mind set on a career in the medical field, but this event cemented those feelings by allowing me to ask questions about my uncertainties. They gave a great deal of information: I could get an entry level job at my current age, while also receiving tuition assistance while I’m still in college. This allows me to get what I really want to do and still have a background in nursing, so I found all of it very interesting.”

Not only did this benefit students, it also gave health professionals awareness on what the future of the medical field could potentially be. Shawn Hamilton, an epidemiologist at Premier Health said, “I think [Healthcare Industry Day] helps us understand what the future is looking at doing and the new workforce in health care. This means we’re better able to prepare ourselves for what’s the common goal. I think it also gives students a great insight into something they might not know about. So, I think it’s the best of both worlds: we benefit because we understand the future workforce and the students benefit because they begin to understand exactly how the machine actually works.”

Students enjoyed Healthcare Industry Day because it gave them another opportunity to converse with experts in their field of interest, so hopefully it will continue to be in DRSS’ Bright Future.

Crayons to Classrooms a Great Place to Volunteer

Crayons to Classroom is a non-profit organization that has been helping teachers out since 2009. “Since opening our doors in 2009, we have distributed more than $12M in school supplies to over 13,700 teachers,” said Steve Rubenstein, the Executive Director of Crayons to Classrooms. Teachers can shop in the store full of school supplies up to two times in one year completely free. Sometimes, teachers walk away with $500 worth of supplies without paying a single dime. There are also prizes as teacher’s check out. One prize includes an entire Yoobi box, which contains pens, pencils, markers, crayons, paper, etc. 

The organization started when a group of Dayton businesses got together and decided that the teachers in the Dayton area deserved to be helped. Since then, multiple volunteers, including myself, work to make sure teachers can come in, get what their classroom needs, and be able to teach classes efficiently. The store also has multiple partners, such as Kroger. Anyone is also able to drop off school supplies. “We have to process the product donations we receive every week and it takes a lot of “behind the scenes” work in order to get the merchandise on the store display shelves. Sometimes we receive full truckloads of donations! We have two full-time employees devoted to this task, in addition to all the volunteers needed to restock the store,” said Rubenstein. 

Katie Jones, a volunteer for Crayons to Classrooms, said, “I love volunteering there after school. It is a great environment, and I love seeing the teachers walking away with an entire cart full of supplies to help their students.” Students from all over can volunteer to help them out. They are very flexible with volunteer’s hours and when they are able to work. For example, I have multiple extracurricular activities and a part-time job, but they worked with me so that I can volunteer. 

If you are interested in volunteering or want to see what Crayons to Classrooms is, contact Michelle Koogler at M.Koogler@dc2c.org.

2017 Summer STEM Opportunities

It's the time of year when we begin hearing about many local, state, and national summer camp opportunities, particularly those involving STEM programming. Below is a compilation of the ones we have heard about. If you have additional opportunities to add to the list, please email Arch Grieve at arch.grieve@wright.edu.

Air Camp

Air Camp is proud to announce the following immersive STEM experiences for students and educators in 2017:

• Teacher Camps Serving Educators in the 14 County Dayton Region K-12: June 7-9 and June 12-14
•  Day Camps Serving Students entering Grades 4, 5, and 6: June 26-30 and July 17-21
• Residence Camps Serving Students entering Grades 7, 8, and 9: June 18-23, July 9-14, and July 23-28

All programs include STEM-affiliated immersive, hands-on experiences that are also aligned with STEM and career technology content standards. The overall objective of Air Camp, Inc. programming is to expand the number of students who pursue STEM education and career opportunities with an emphasis on skills related to scholarship, leadership, and citizenship.  

On-line applications will be accepted from February 1 through April 30 via the Air Camp, Inc. website at www.AirCampUSA.com. On the site you can also view an amazing YouTube video that features some of the highlights of our programming. Please visit the website or contact the Director of Operations at aircampdirector@gmail.com!

Dayton Regional STEM School

RASPBERRY PI CAMP

A "Raspberry Pi" is a credit card-sized computer designed for education.  Students will learn the basic input and outputs of a computer while building one of their very own.  The class will also include programming with Python fundamentals, which will allow students to build a fortune telling game to play with friends and family. This 3-day class will allow each student to build a Raspberry Pi to take home and keep!

The $60, non-refundable per student fee for the course includes:
A Raspberry Pi, an LED kit, keyboard, mouse, and coding knowledge
A DRSS Raspberry Pi T-Shirt
Lunch will be provided to all students each day

PLEASE NOTE:  Enrollment is limited to the first 20 students who enroll and pay.  If there is enough interest, we may offer a second Raspberry Pi Camp later in the summer.

Update: 4/4/17 (sold out!)

For additional details and to register, visit this secure website:  Raspberry Pi Camp Registration

Duke University

Duke University has both Summer College and Summer Academy programs available for students who will be in grades 10-12 for the 2017-18 school year. The application deadline is April 14th and there is a $50 application fee. Please visit http://summersession.duke.edu/high-school-students for more information.

 

Sinclair Community College - Women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Institute

The 2017 Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (WiSTEM) Institute is an amazing opportunity to learn about STEM fields. WiSTEM is open to girls who are entering grades 10-12. Learn more at http://www.sinclair.edu/academics/divisions/sme/k-12-outreach/women-in-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-wistem/

 

University of Dayton STEM Programming

Below are some local summer opportunities to help you explore your interests in STEM!

The University of Dayton has three exciting residential engineering camps available this summer. APPLY EARLY BECAUSE SPACE IS LIMITED!

• METEC: Minority Engineering and Technology Enrichment Camp for Young Men. Applicant must be a minority young man/senior in the fall of 2017 and have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Application deadline is May 18. Camp runs from June 18-24th ($200 covers everything).
• Women in Engineering Summer Camp: Open to young women entering grades 10-12 in the fall of 2017. Application deadline is June 1st. Camp runs from July 9-14th. ($700 covers everything) -
• Summer Honors Engineering Camp: Open to students entering the 10th-12th grades in the fall of 2017 who have a minimum of 3.5 GPA. Application deadline is June 1st. The camp runs from July 16-21st. ($700 covers everything)

*The METEC camp is offered at a reduced fee due to sponsorship, and need-based financial assistance is available for all three camps.  

For more information please visit:  

www.go.udayton.edu/metec  

www.go.udayton.edu/wie  

www.go.udayton.edu/engr/honors_camp 

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base 

STARBASE Wright-Patt and the National Museum of the United States Air Force is excited to offer the opportunity of 4 unique summer camps to ALL Greater Dayton Area 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Graders.

Camps will be held at the National Museum of the United States Air Force and at STARBASE Wright-Patt. Our June Camps will be for students that will be in 5th or 6th grade for the 2017-18 school year. Our July camps will be for students that will be in 7th or 8th grade for the 2017-18 school year.

Please see the attached announcements for complete information.

Interested registrants should apply through the link provided on wpafbstem.com

Sign-ups will begin on Tuesday, April 4 at 8:30 a.m. via the links provided at wpafbstem.com for STARBASE Summer Camps.

Adventures Await DRSS Students in Yosemite National Park

Beautiful scenery like this awaits students in Yosemite National Park.

By Chloe Johnson

STEMmersion is just around the corner. With only six weeks left until the school year ends, teachers are preparing for their STEMmersion courses. These courses are two-weeks of immersive study into subjects outside of regular school instruction. Students can participate in STEMmersion courses that are about topics ranging from cooking to engineering. This year, a new STEMmersion has been introduced. The Yosemite STEMmersion is where 25 middle schoolers and 25 high schoolers explore Yosemite National Park located in California for five days. The teachers accompanying the students during this STEMmersion are Mrs. Curran, the 7^th grade wellness & fitness teacher; Ms. Lydy, the 7^th and 8^th grade science teacher; Ms. Murakami, the 6^th grade STEM foundations and engineering teacher; Mr. Pant, the 9^th grade American history teacher; and Mr. Slone, the technology coordinator. This is the first time DRSS students have traveled to Yosemite as a STEMmersion.

Before students leave for Yosemite, they will have two field trips and participate in team building exercises. Some of these exercises will teach students how to pack their day pack, suitcase, and the TSA rules for flying with luggage. The purpose of the field trips is to teach students about the geology and hiking opportunities in Dayton. According to Ms. Curran, “there is a campaign through the National Park Service called “Find Your Parks,” and we are trying to make that kind of connection between our local area and Yosemite.”

DRSS students will experience the educational program through the national parks which is called Nature Bridge. According to Ms. Curran, “Nature Bridge has different programs that they offer in different national parks. In our trip to Yosemite, we are doing geology, water shed, climate change, ecology, and human history.” Before embarking on their journey through Yosemite with “its dramatic waterfalls, giant sequoias, abundant wildlife, and awe-inspiring cliffs,” according to Yosemite’s official website, the group will be flying into San Francisco. The students will spend the night in San Francisco and part of the next day. Then, it is a three and a half hour bus ride from San Francisco to Yosemite. In San Francisco, the students will be doing more sightseeing and not specific educational programming.

According to Ms. Curran, “I am most looking forward to the hiking in Yosemite just because I have never been to Yosemite or any of the National Parks out west.” Also, Ms. Curran hinted that the springtime is the best season to see the waterfalls because of all the snow packs melting. On the other hand, junior, Kyle Campbell said, “I am most looking forward to when it is nice and quiet to just listen to the animals.” In the interview, Ms. Curran also talked about what she believed students could look forward to during this STEMmersion. “I think it’s going to be the absolute natural beauty of a national park of that scope and size because it’s not something that we can replicate here in Ohio at all. I also hope that kids find that they can push themselves to do things that they never really thought were possible in terms of hiking and sleeping in platform tents that don’t have electricity or places to plug their phones in.” She hopes that students will be able to disconnect from modern technology and really find themselves in peace and quiet. Kyle Campbell stated, “I am mostly excited for the experience and learning more about nature.”

The educational program, Nature Bridge, will focus on climate change and its impact on the parks, the geology of Yosemite, ecology (different flora and fauna), and water shed. This is a really science based STEMmersion. The educational section of this STEMmersion will be taken care of by Nature Bridge. For exhibition night, students in this course will be showing off displays related to the concept “Find Your Parks.” The displays could focus on connections between Yosemite and Ohio parks, things they learned about themselves or parks. The students will even have the opportunity to use the Go Pros to take in depth pictures and videos of Yosemite. Ms. Curran stated, “Hope for good weather. The temperature will change during the day. It will be cool in the mornings.”  The Yosemite STEMmersion will definitely be an interesting course where students will be exploring the beauty of nature.

Kona Ice Truck Visits DRSS

Students enjoying Kona Ice

On Thursday, March 9, 2017, a lovely treat was brought to the Dayton Regional STEM School (DRSS) when the Kona Ice Truck visited DRSS. 

The Kona products are dairy-free, gluten free, and peanut free. They also provide sugar-free options and dye-flavors upon request. The cost per cup ranges from $3-$5 depending on the size. The students voted on Schoology, a computer software that connects the students to their teachers, to choose where 25% of the proceeds would be donated to. The majority of the students decided to donate the funds to 4 Paws for Ability. 

Students donated $253.25 to 4 Paws for Ability

This organization “specializes in training and placing task-trained service dogs to enrich the lives of children with disabilities.” Also, some of the training dogs work with veterans who returned from recent tours and have lost their limbs or hearing while in active combat.

It is very expensive to teach and take care of a service dog. According to 4 Paws, “At 4 Paws for Ability, it costs at least $34,000 to train and place a service dog with a disabled child.” Also, according to 4 Paws, “The fee for a service dog is $17,000.” The money that has been raised due to this fundraiser will help change families’ lives who need it the most.

Furthermore, the students really enjoyed this event. For instance, McKenna Toler, a junior, stated, "It was fantastic,” and that she "would love to attend this event again." So would junior Katie Saine. She stated, “The flavors were very tasty. Of course, I would love to have this again. It was a really great idea, and it was nice to get outside and have a break. The fact it was going to charity made the experience even better.” 

We are so happy to have the amazing Key Club who set up this event. Maybe, this is the start of a new tradition for the years to come.