At Rowan this summer, teachers become students
Secondary school teachers will be taught by professors, and share the campus with their own pupils
Students and teachers will learn together at Rowan University’s engineering and technology program this summer.
The university’s High School Scholars Program for Future Engineers and Technology Teachers takes place from July 12 to 16. The program introduces students interested in those fields to math and science teachers who help them learn through hands-on activities and field trips.
Rowan University’s colleges of engineering and education are working together to hold the sessions sponsored by the Edison Venture Fund.
Caitlin Markey, 18, of Washington Township will attend Rowan University for mechanical engineering in the fall and was a participant in last year’s scholars program.
Markey, a 2009 graduate of Washington Township High School, said the program helped to reinforce her decision to go into engineering. She enjoyed working on the interactive projects with professors and attending the program’s field trips.
“It’s a good experience. You learn a lot about engineering — the steps that go into it — and you get to work with professors in the field,” she said.
Dr. Kauser Jahan, chair of Rowan’s civil and environmental engineering department, runs the high school program.
Students are nominated to attend the program by staff at their schools, and chosen based on letters of recommendation. The college tries to ensure that as many school districts as possible are represented. About 20 students and 30 secondary school teachers will attend this year.
The teachers program is in its fourth year, and the student program is in its second year. This is the first year that teachers and students will attend at the same time.
“I thought it would be good for students to see teachers learning at the same time as they are, and for teachers to see how the activities are perceived by students,” Jahan said.
Each day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. students and teachers will participate in hands-on activities such as bridge building, programming robots, and they’ll study alternate energy, and the engineering behind the design of sports equipment.
Each year, program scholars take field trips to see sustainable engineering in action, through wind turbines, solar panels, a wastewater treatment plant and a landfill with biogas recovery.
Attendees, primarily from southern New Jersey, are provided with a $500 stipend for transportation and meals. Teachers are permitted to request housing, while high school students are required to commute.
“There is a lack of interest in science and engineering in the U.S., and our mission is to get people interested in the field,” Jahan said.
Anthony Merlino, 17, who will enter his senior year at Delsea Regional High School in the fall, is in the process of choosing a college and plans to major in electrical engineering
Merlino, of Newfield competed against other students in the school for a chance to attend the program by writing an essay about how it would benefit him in his educational career.
In his essay, Merlino wrote about how he wants to get firsthand experience through the program, and about his independent research and interest of engineering and technology at home.
Merlino, who built a computer on his own and has attempted to build his own robot, looks forward to the program’s session on robotics.
“I was always interested in robots and how everything works, so I started reading online and figuring out things for myself. I think this will give me a lot of experience in the field,” he said.
The university’s High School Scholars Program for Future Engineers and Technology Teachers takes place from July 12 to 16. The program introduces students interested in those fields to math and science teachers who help them learn through hands-on activities and field trips.
Rowan University’s colleges of engineering and education are working together to hold the sessions sponsored by the Edison Venture Fund.
Caitlin Markey, 18, of Washington Township will attend Rowan University for mechanical engineering in the fall and was a participant in last year’s scholars program.
Markey, a 2009 graduate of Washington Township High School, said the program helped to reinforce her decision to go into engineering. She enjoyed working on the interactive projects with professors and attending the program’s field trips.
“It’s a good experience. You learn a lot about engineering — the steps that go into it — and you get to work with professors in the field,” she said.
Dr. Kauser Jahan, chair of Rowan’s civil and environmental engineering department, runs the high school program.
Students are nominated to attend the program by staff at their schools, and chosen based on letters of recommendation. The college tries to ensure that as many school districts as possible are represented. About 20 students and 30 secondary school teachers will attend this year.
The teachers program is in its fourth year, and the student program is in its second year. This is the first year that teachers and students will attend at the same time.
“I thought it would be good for students to see teachers learning at the same time as they are, and for teachers to see how the activities are perceived by students,” Jahan said.
Each day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. students and teachers will participate in hands-on activities such as bridge building, programming robots, and they’ll study alternate energy, and the engineering behind the design of sports equipment.
Each year, program scholars take field trips to see sustainable engineering in action, through wind turbines, solar panels, a wastewater treatment plant and a landfill with biogas recovery.
Attendees, primarily from southern New Jersey, are provided with a $500 stipend for transportation and meals. Teachers are permitted to request housing, while high school students are required to commute.
“There is a lack of interest in science and engineering in the U.S., and our mission is to get people interested in the field,” Jahan said.
Anthony Merlino, 17, who will enter his senior year at Delsea Regional High School in the fall, is in the process of choosing a college and plans to major in electrical engineering
Merlino, of Newfield competed against other students in the school for a chance to attend the program by writing an essay about how it would benefit him in his educational career.
In his essay, Merlino wrote about how he wants to get firsthand experience through the program, and about his independent research and interest of engineering and technology at home.
Merlino, who built a computer on his own and has attempted to build his own robot, looks forward to the program’s session on robotics.
“I was always interested in robots and how everything works, so I started reading online and figuring out things for myself. I think this will give me a lot of experience in the field,” he said.
