News

Mohonasen High School pre-engineering students present to experts in the field

May 27, 2009

On May 19, seniors from Mohonasen High School’s Engineering Design & Development (EDD) class presented their senior year design projects to a panel of engineers.

The panel included engineers and scientists from GE, RPI, and the NYS Transportation Department. The audience also included parents, students, teachers and administrators.

The EDD class is a capstone course in the Project Lead the Way pre-engineering sequence of courses. Students in the EDD class work in teams to solve an engineering problem of their choice. This year’s EDD class worked to solve a variety of problems including:

• An organizer for the high school pool

• Custom instrument and equipment holders for the high school band bus

• An improved rolling cart for teachers

• An antenna for a ham radio installation at Draper Middle School

• A hydrogen-powered combustion engine

• A wrestling mat storage system at Draper Middle School

• A topical solution for acne problems

The EDD course requires students to work closely with engineers in the field, who serve as mentors. Students are also required to build a prototype of their solution. Support from engineering organizations is a key to the success of these projects.

Support from engineering organizations

The GE Volunteers Foundation provided a $3,000 grant to the EDD class for the purchase of materials. GE volunteers have been strong supporters of Mohonasen’s technology program for the past 11 years through their participation in a partnership program with the school. This year eight GE volunteers contributed many hours in the classroom working with students to help them solve their engineering problem.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute also provided funds and an RPI graduate student to work with the students throughout the school year. This was part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) GK-12 Program: Discovery-Based Activities in Energy and the Environment (DAEE).

Find out more about technology courses offered at Mohonasen.