Students Sam Renick and Manning Lumpkin test the photo sensitivity of the solar panels they made in their Alternative Energy class at The Center for Advanced Technical Studies. (Photo/Jeff Blake)
their own learning, with teachers getting to coach them as they go. One more thing these educational efforts have in common: Businesses are involved in design of the curriculum and often are excited about cooperating, educators say.
In the Charleston area’s EDGE effort, business leaders are part of the oversight committee and head up councils related to their fields, Raiford said. The program also brings business people and educators to the same table. This interaction allows teachers to adapt examples from business to their curriculum, giving student work a more real-world feel. Boeing is one of three sponsors for a grant supporting project-related learning through EDGE, bringing educators to business sites for hands-on experience. The program already has drawn a second grant. Michelin has been among the businesses to support the new center in District 5, Gates said. The tire maker, which operates a manufacturing facility in Lexington County, sees the center as a way to encourage the kind of technical expertise it needs. A.J. Whittenburg’s Lego Team was one of three in North America selected to attend a major competition in Germany, but how to get there? Engineering and construction firm Fluor was the first of several companies to step up and sponsor the seven fourth-graders’ trip, Thomason said.
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students building a working hovercraft or younger students at A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School in Greenville making model bridges and testing their strength. This kind of project-based learning engages students and prompts goal-oriented thinking, said Al Gates, assistant director at the center in District 5. “It’s the best play since kindergarten.” These programs offer a curriculum that ties many academic subjects into learning in STEM fields. At EDGE Academy programs in Charleston, students do presentations or research papers in classes such as social studies and English that connect directly into engineering work or other focus areas, said Suzi Raiford of the Education Foundation, a program of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. EDGE stands for Education and Development for Graduation and Employment, Raiford said. The goal is to get young people through school and into the workforce with the right skills to succeed. “Our bottom line is to improve graduation rates,” Raiford said. The special areas where EDGE is intended to have an impact are in the STEM fields, health sciences and hospitality and culinary/ tourism – areas that are key components of the Lowcountry economy. Greenville’s A.J. Whittenberg is in the third year of offering a primary school education with a curriculum emphasizing engineering. Opened as a K-2 school, Whittenberg is expected to enroll about 550 students in grades K-5 next fall. It’s a successful magnet program drawing a diverse student population to an area where more than 90% of the neighborhood students receive free or reduced lunch, notes Principal Margaret Thomason. These young students are learning skills such as teamwork and experimentation as well as how to correct their mistakes and try again, Thomason said. “We don’t say we’re trying to create a bunch of little engineers.” District 5’s Center for Advanced Technical Studies, which opened this school year, offers laboratory classrooms that resemble a workshop floor. Parked in the middle of classrooms may be a tractor, solar panels or even a trebuchet, a medieval catapult built by the students. They do the work and drive
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