2014 BETAC Info Package

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp Bringing the STEM Revolution to the Bahamas

E betac242@gmail.com W www.betac242.com

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About Us Bahamas Engineering and Technology Advancement (BETA) is the work of a consortium of Bahamian and Bahamian-American engineers, scientists and technologists. These highly skilled professionals share a passion for using the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills they have learned in their successful careers to help re-energize the Bahamas and provide opportunities for Bahamian youth.

The BETA team came together in March 2014 with a shared goal: to expose Bahamian students to STEM fields and instil in them the knowledge, passion and drive to pursue careers within these growing and rewarding fields. After countless meetings, conference calls and emails, BETA was founded.

For the entire Bahamas the number of Bahamians employed in manufacturing, communications, construction, ut ilities, agriculture and fisheries accounted for 27% of the labour force in 2008 and 24% in 2012. Hence, over the course of 4 years there has been a decline in the number of available jobs within technical fields. The need for STEM professionals is great, as are the opportunities for the graduates equipped to enter these fields.

Mission

Vision

The BETA team’s mission is simple: to use

The need for improved STEM education is critical.

technical expertise to inspire and improve the

Bahamian students face an increasingly deprived

Bahamas. Its leadership is comprised of Bahamian

technical and competitive job market. With an

and Bahamian-American engineers who envision

eclectic group of highly skilled technical

the Bahamas Engineering and Technology

professionals, the BETA team is uniquely qualified

Advancement Camp or BETAC as the first in a

to address this need. This team is committed to

series of collaborative efforts to strengthen STEM

teaching students the fundamentals of engineering

education at the College of The Bahamas (COB),

and exposing them to the myriad ways STEM

create opportunities for engineers and address vital

education can improve their lives. Through

infrastructure issues on the island.

initiatives such as the BETA Camp or BETAC, the BETA team seeks to create a future where Bahamians are technically equipped and compete in a global market.

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

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Our Team BETAC is organized by a team of engineers and technology professionals dedicated to the advancement of STEM in the Bahamas.

Trenicka Rolle

D’André Wilson-Ihejirika

Aisha Bowe

Mechanical Engineer

Chemical Engineer

Aerospace Engineer

Trenicka Rolle was born and raised in Freeport, Grand Bahama. In addition to being published in various academic journals, Trenicka has held leadership positions in the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), worked with elementary and middle school students to understand engineering fundamentals, and received several awards including the 2013 Bahamas National Academic Scholarship.

Trenicka completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011; and recently received her master’s degree in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering.

D’André Wilson-Ihejirika is originally from Nassau, Bahamas, but moved to Canada in 2006 to pursue a degree in Chemical Engineering from McGill University. Subsequently, she received a Master’s degree from the Centre for Management of Technology and Entrepreneurship at the University of Toronto. In 2012, D’André founded BrainSTEM Alliance, an engineering educational consulting firm.

She also started the Ziri Bags initiative to raise funds for scholarships for young women.

D’Andre’s career has spanned the financial, research, nonprofit and energy sectors. She currently works as a project development engineer in the Canadian Oil sands.

Aisha Bowe is the co-founder and CEO of STEMBoard, an online community that connects professionals with mentors and recruiters hailing from top companies, universities and government agencies. Aisha has spent several years as a researcher at the NASA Ames Research Center in California.

Aisha has conceived and implemented programs aimed at encouraging students to pursue careers in science and technology, which included a stint as NASA’s liaison to the board of the San Jose State University Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement program. Aisha holds a B.S.E. in aerospace engineering and an M. Eng. in space systems engineering, both from the University of Michigan.

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

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Our Team cont.

BETAC is organized by a team of engineers and technology professionals dedicated to the advancement of STEM in the Bahamas.

Erika Cherry

LaToya Johnson

Albrion Symonette

Applications Engineer

Electrical Engineer

Civil Engineer

Erika is project applications engineer at Sumitomo Drive Technologies and provides expertise in application assistance and verification of technical information. As the Project Manager at STEMBoard, Erika has shown a commitment to engineering and to education, and has managed technical projects in both private and public sectors.

Erika holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Southern University A&M College and a master’s degree in engineering management from Old Dominion University.

LaToya Johnson is an independent engineering and business consultant, in addition to being the Treasurer for BSE (Bahamas Society of Engineers). LaToya has more than 10 years of technical experience with a degree in electrical engineering as well as an MBA. LaToya is a serial entrepreneur and in addition to her consulting business has owned a fitness centre in Eleuthera, as well as an ice cream parlor.

Albrion Symonette is a construction project engineer working in Nassau, Bahamas.

He is an alumnus of the esteemed Morehouse College, where he was an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He currently owns a decorative pavement company called Deco Pave Bahamas, as well as a graphic design firm.

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

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Our Team cont.

BETAC is organized by a team of engineers and technology professionals dedicated to the advancement of STEM in the Bahamas.

Kordero St. Cyr

Travis Miller

Bradley Thompson Jr.

Civil Engineer

Web Developer

Computer Engineer

Kordero St. Cyr is a Project Officer at the Ministry of Works and holds a BSc. in civil engineering from The University of Arkansas. Kordero has served in several capacities of mentorship, most notably serving as Director of Adventures of Sciences and Mathematics 2011, a community educational initiative spearheaded by Colina General. In addition to his other accomplishments, he developed a sustainability driven, science curriculum for middle school students.

Kordero is also the founder and mentor for NSBE Bahamas at the College of The Bahamas.

Travis Miller is a web developer at SPARK, a branding and advertising agency. Travis was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas and completed his degree in management information systems at the University of Tampa John H. Sykes College of Business.

Travis has been involved in numerous web development projects, competed in start-up competitions and spoken at many events and panels on web development. In addition to his multiple accomplishments, Travis also has shown a dedication to education, mentoring young web developers in his spare time.

Bradley Thompson was born and raised in Freeport, Grand Bahama. An alumnus of McGill University in computer engineering, Bradley has developed websites for multiple organizations and businesses.

Previously a web programmer for Frontstart, Bradley is now a systems support specialist at Freeport Container Port, specializing in Information Technology and Project Management. Bradley has experience using Javascript, AJAX, HTML, CSS, PHP and MySql; several programming languages including C and Java; wired and wireless network design as well as microprocessor design.

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

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2014 BETAC Experience The Bahamas Engineering and Technology Advancement Camp gives junior high school students a chance to learn about various STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines and put their newfound knowledge to the test.

This five-day summer camp is the brainchild of a diverse group of Bahamian and American engineers. These accomplished professionals share a passion for engineering education and are committed to enhancing the opportunities available to Bahamian youth.

The theme for the 2014 summer camp is ‘Bringing the STEM Revolution to the Bahamas’’.

The camp will be divided into technical streams. Each stream will have a technical demonstration exhibit (TDE) in which students will have to apply the theory and engineering design techniques learned throughout the week. The students will then compete against their peers for the best technical design.

In addition to the TDE there will also be a design project in which students from the various technical streams will work together to come up with a technical solution to a current and pressing Bahamian issue. The theme ‘Bringing the STEM Revolution to the Bahamas’’ will be realized in this project, demonstrating to students and Bahamians in general how important STEM is to preserving our culture while boosting our country’s economy.

Finally there will be public panels, where we engage the Bahamian community and invite them to discuss with our team about the work we perform as STEM professionals and the present and future outlook of STEM within the Bahamas.

Summary of Camp Details Camp Name

Bahamas Engineering and Technology Advancement Camp (BETAC)

Camp Theme

Bringing the STEM Revolution to the Bahamas

Camp Venue

College of the Bahamas

Camp Dates

July 28th – August 1st

Target Age Group

11-14

Target Grade

7th - 9th

Number of students

50

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

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Technical Streams The camp will be divided into multiple streams that will allow in-depth technical learning.

Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering Aerospace engineering deals with the research, design, development, construction, testing, science and technology of aircraft and spacecraft.

Mechanical Engineering is the broadest of all engineering and encompasses the design of mechanical systems.

Chemical Engineering Chemical Engineering is a form of engineering that deals with chemical reactions. This can be in the form of applied chemistry on a laboratory scale, to industrial size processes.

Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity. Electrical engineering is subdivided into a wide range of subfields including electronics, digital computers, power engineering, telecommunications, control systems, signal processing, instrumentation, and microelectronics.

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

Biomedical Engineering Biomedical Engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology. The outcomes of this particular engineering discipline are focused on improving the overall healthcare of society and particularly the lives of those suffering from medical impairments.

Computer Science Computer science is the study of the principles and use of computers. Web Development in particular is a specialization of computer science that involves building web applications on the internet.

Civil Engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings.

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Specific Learning Outcomes We believe it is important to define the specific learning outcomes (SLOs) that will result from the participation in BETAC. This camp will not only be insightful and engaging, but will inspire future generations of Bahamian STEM professionals. Therefore with this camp it is our desire to achieve the following SLOs.

Engineering Design • •

Engineering Streams •

Understand the basic

Acquire a solid foundation

principles of engineering

in a specific engineering

Describe the engineering

discipline

•

design process .

Gain experience in working with various engineering tools via hands-on activities and labs

Project Management •

Community Impact

Learn to work within a

•

Discover ways to address and resolve national issues

•

Attain sufficient knowledge to decide on whether they would like to become engineers

team and become an effective team member •

Communicate results and findings to a large group

.

Problem-Solving •

Technical Development •

Enhance their ability to research and problem solve

Develop a keen interest in mathematics and science

.

.

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

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Camp Agenda DAY 1 Registration

8:30am

Welcome/Keynote

9:30am

Introductions/Camp Expectations

10:00am

Break

10:30am

Discussion: Importance of STEM in the Bahamas

11:00am

Lunch

12:00pm

Introduction to Technical Streams

1:00pm

Introduction to Design Project

3:30pm

Closeout

4:00pm

DAY 2-4 Student Check-in

8:30am

Warm-up Activity

9:00am

In-stream Theory and Learning

9:30am

Lunch

12:00pm

In-stream Labs and Projects

1:00pm

Design Project work

3:00pm

Closeout

4:00pm

DAY 5

$600

Student Check-in

8:30am

Technical Demonstrations

9:30am

Lunch

12:00pm

Design Project Competition

1:00pm

Closing and Awards

4:00pm

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$300

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Student Application Students can fill out the following form and email to betac242@gmail.com Or students can apply online at www.betac242.com STUDENT INFORMATION Student Name Date of Birth Gender Mailing Address Phone Number Email Address School Grade Level Completed REFERENCE INFORMATION **Students will require a reference froma teacher or guidance counselor Reference Name Reference Phone Reference Email Reference Relationship to Applicant Short Answer Questions **These questions will allow our selection team to gain an understanding of the student’s character Question 1 – How does attending the camp tie-in to your future aspirations?

Question 2- Describe a challenge in your life and how you overcame it.

Question 3 – Describe an experience where you had to work in a team.

Question 4 – Which engineering stream do you prefer? (Give first and second options)

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E betac242@gmail.com W www.betac242.com