GRAFTON — Midview High School students are entering the world of engineering before stepping foot on a college campus through a national program, Project Lead the Way.

Project Lead the Way gives students a glimpse of life as an engineer before making the commitment to majoring in the field at college, said Midview High School technology teacher Tim Daley.

This is the first year the program is being offered to students at MHS.

It also has been offered to students at Admiral King High School for several years, and plans are in the works to offer it at Lorain County Joint Vocational School, said Sharon Fain, director of the technology preparation consortium for Lorain County Community College.

Through grants provided by the Nord Family Foundation and Stocker Foundation, 29 Midview students have enrolled in the first course, said Cathy Pugh, director of curriculum and technology for Midview school district.

The first course is an introduction to engineering design.

There are four engineering courses being offered, with the fourth one being taught at Lorain County Community College.

“We are targeting the 10th graders, but there are a lot of upperclassmen who are interested in engineering. I have a few seniors in my class who are going to college and plan to pursue engineering,” Daley said.

Sophomore Gabriella Patarini, 16, said she became more interested in the course after she saw it posted on a bulletin board last school year.

She said her interest in engineering stemmed from her many trips to Cedar Point.

“I would stand in line for a roller coaster and wonder ‘How’d they do that?’” she said.

Senior Jeremiah Baker, 17, said he became aware of the course being offered this year when he was a junior.

“I wish they offered it a long time ago. It’s a good opportunity for those who are interested in engineering,” Jeremiah said.

“Not all schools have this program because it takes a lot of funding. The technology here is phenomenal.”

According to Daley, the computers used for the courses include high-powered memory and video cards and state-of-the-art software.

To date, one of the projects that the students have designed is a puzzle cube. It was the students’ own design, and the main goal was to find a way to have five pieces of wood create a cube.

“We are trying to improve the course offerings at Midview High School, and we saw a need to make math and science more relevant,” Pugh said. “It’s a hands-on course — in some courses the ideas are abstract, but with this course, they apply it to life.”

Daley said the course allows students to understand the foundations they need for engineering — such as a background in algebra and geometry.

“We work on formulas and practical applications,” Daley said. “The students are really into it and have fun.

“It’s different because it’s not your standard class where they sit and I lecture. Every day it’s hands-on, and they are working. It will prepare them for their future in engineering.”

Contact Melissa Linebrink at 329-7155 or mlinebrink@chroniclet.com.

 

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