SOUTHFIELD — The Engineering Society of Detroit has issued a call for mentors for its Engineering SMArT Michigan program, which has just gotten under way for its 2015 competition.
Engineering SMArT Michgian is a rigorous program in hands on science, mathematics, architecture and technology (SMArT) in which high school students design energy-efficient homes.
Volunteer mentors are a critical element to the success of the program and are needed to help teach and coach in the classroom. There are two groups of mentors – Energy Module and Presentation Module.
Energy Module mentors are responsible for teaching students about the basics of energy, energy consumption, the electric grid, alternative energies, and energy efficiency.
Presentation Module mentors assist students with implementing what they have learned from the Energy Module mentors. They will teach students how to use scale and drafting guidelines, as well as coach students through their essays and oral presentations.
At the end of the Presentation Module, the students’ final project will consist of engineering drawings (site plan, floor plan, section, and elevation), an essay, and an oral presentation for the competition.
The program finishes up in late May at the competition. Energy Module mentors are asked to teach a minimum of one class period per week for two weeks. Presentation Module mentors are assigned to a school and asked to teach a minimum of one class period per week for eight weeks. Efforts will be made to schedule multiple Presentation Module mentors at each school in order to ensure at least one mentor is in the classroom each week. Mentors can volunteer for one or more schools.
If you are interested in serving as an Energy Module mentor, please contact Jasmine Sisson, PE, at sisson@pbworld.com, as soon as possible, as the program is now under way. Presentation Module mentors are also needed.
Now in its fourth year, Engineering SMArT Michigan was developed by a panel of energy, construction and education experts convened by ESD. The program’s curriculum is aligned with ACT College-Ready Standards, Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards.
The top three finalist teams are offered scholarships worth up to $30,000 at Lawrence Technological University. Selected students from each school participating in the program will be eligible for a summer internship opportunity.
Engineering SMArT Michigan is funded by the United Way of Southeastern Michigan. Sponsors include Denso, FirstMerit Bank, Lawrence Technological University, Mr. Rooter, and Parsons Brinckerhoff.
For further information about the Engineering SMArT Michigan™ program, contact Sue Ruffner at 248-353-0735, ext. 117, or e-mail sruffner@esd.org.