UILDING E H FUTURE Engineering program underway
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By Tad Desai
witch fights a towering dragon with three fireballs she hurls in front of her. A helicopter moves up and down to defend the brave elements. A shark navigates the waters seeking prey. These are all the scenarios the students of Sealy High School’s year-one class in a four-year process toward an engineering emphasis have come up with for the second semester project. The class is called “Introduction to Engineering Design” and is taught by instructor Lavinia Owen who had previously taught a year of engineering classes at the junior high level. She moved to the high school when the school district decided to begin a similar program at a higher level. It is part of Project Lead the Way, a nonprofit organization that provides a learning experience for students in computer science, engineering and biomedical science that can translate from the classroom to real-world uses. The organization helps students ranging from kindergarten all the way to the high school senior level. Continued on page 36