With holidays and testing, a school year may only be 26-30 weeks in which a business could send mentors and/or bring mentees into the workplace.
LASER Program
Leadership and Science Ensures Results
LASER (Leadership and Science Ensures Results)
incorporates a fun mix of math, science and leadership skills and engages
students in project-based learning activities as part of the McKinney
Independent School District’s physics program.
Mentors:
· Participate in classroom
activities five times during the school year
·
Help create a Strategic
Life Plan with students
·
Explore career
opportunities with students
·
Participate in think
tanks and innovation activities
·
Attend a capstone event
where top teams present to Raytheon and school leaders
More about the program:
MISD, Raytheon Kick-Off Sixth Grade
LASER Curriculum with STEM Day at Dowell MS
McKinney, Texas - The smack of wood
striking wood reverberated throughout the 6th grade halls of Dowell Middle
School on Friday, October 25 as students operated miniature wooden catapults
called “statapults” to explore physics and engineering alongside volunteers
from Raytheon.
It was just
one of several engaging learning and leadership activities that students
tackled during the first LASER (Leadership and Science Ensure Results) STEM Day
at Dowell, an event that will be repeated in coming weeks at Cockrill, Evans,
Faubion and Scott Johnson middle schools.
 |
| Dowell Middle School students prepare to launch a rubber ball with their "statapult" during the Raytheon LASER STEM Day. |
LASER is a
project-based learning curriculum developed through the collaborative effort of
Raytheon and McKinney ISD. Raytheon supplied approximately $19,500 to fund the
original program which was embedded in the district’s high school physics
classes during the 2010-2011 school year. Raytheon engineers and managers visit
the classes every other month to work with teachers and students on four
different modules that focus on 21st century leadership skills.
The 2013
Dowell LASER STEM Day marks the introduction of the 6th grade curriculum which
was made possible, in part, by a $17,000 Raytheon contribution.
Launching
small rubber balls of various size and composition, the 6th graders sought
maximum distance by adjusting variables to tweak their statapult’s performance.
In another activity, they built “Puff Mobiles” and were allowed one puff of air
to move the device as far as possible. Along the way, Raytheon engineers
encouraged innovation while providing expert guidance and feedback.
 |
| Sixth grade students consult with Raytheon volunteer Jodi Roepsch during the Raytheon LASER STEM Day statapult activity. |
Teamwork,
leadership and communication were major themes of the day. The first activity
of the morning gave students a chance to learn more about themselves through a
personality assessment. Then, they were placed in teams to practice effective
communication while building puzzles. The culminating activity of the day
called upon the students to hone their presentation skills through discussion
of the activities, the challenges they faced during the day and what they
learned through the process.
“The students
had an eventful day as they collaborated about the design of their Puff Mobiles
and the data collected from their Ballistic Statapult,” said Chaurcley Cook,
McKinney ISD Coordinator of Secondary Science.
“Middle
school is an important time to introduce career opportunities and help students
make the important connections to their everyday learning in the classroom. One
student told me, ‘I like learning this way,” and another liked learning about
what the engineers do at Raytheon. One student said, ‘I think I want to be an
engineer.’”
By Shane Mauldin, 10/30/2013 2:00 PM, Middle School News
For
additional information on McKinney ISD, contact Shane Mauldin, MISD
Communications Coordinator, at 469-302-4007 or smauldin@mckinneyisd.net.
That Raytheon targeted different classes and levels is noteworthy. Excerpts:
With $10,000 Donation, Raytheon Helps
Bring LASER Program to McKinney ISD 6th Grade Science Classes
McKinney, Texas - Raytheon Company, a long-time supporter of
McKinney ISD science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education,
recently donated $10,000 to the district’s LASER (Leadership and Science Ensure
Results) program...The money
will go toward implementation of LASER in all McKinney ISD 6th grade science
classes during the 2012-13 school year...
LASER is a project-based learning curriculum developed
through the collaborative effort of Raytheon and McKinney ISD. Raytheon
supplied approximately $19,500 to fund the original program which was embedded
in the district’s high school physics classes during the 2010-2011 school year.
About 40 Raytheon engineers and managers visit the classes every other month to
work with teachers and students on four different modules that focus on 21st
century Leadership skills.
By Shane Mauldin, 05/07/2012 9:53 AM, District News
http://mathmovesu.com/about-mathmovesumentoring/laser-program Ret. 3-18-14
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