An educator strives to leave a lasting impact on their students, nurture innovation, and inspire them to reach their full potential. In a world where the STEM industry is quickly expanding, the need for student exposure and hands-on learning is vital for the acceleration of interest and understanding of career paths. For Ronan High School teacher, Jesse Gray, and Mary Ellen Earnhardt with the Montana Department of Labor , this mission and dedication is accentuated in their work with Montana TSA.
The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a national non-profit organization geared to motivate middle and high school students who have an interest in technology. By hosting conferences and hands-on competitions, students can explore their passions in STEM through TSA. Jesse, a STEM, computer science and engineering teacher and State Director, has been involved with TSA for over a decade. Recently, he attended the National TSA Conference with his students, many of whom had never been to an event of national scale before:
“So we went [to the Kennedy Space Center] early before the conference, and we watched a SpaceX rocket that launched… Then the kids are getting ready, the ones that I have with me had never been to a conference, so you know, we’re having them put on their dress attire and [what] they need to wear to the conference. Then, we walk into a great big convention center ballroom, and it’s all opened up, lights flashing, music going, they’re getting everybody excited… it’s really fun to watch the kids interact with [their peers] who are [interested in] the same thing.”
For teachers, TSA is a way to let their students excel in their interests in a creative way. Mary Ellen, the Montana Career Lab Supervisor, found TSA to be the most effective way to engage students in hands-on, relevant learning. When trying to find an organization that would provide students with “reality-based learning for career development,” TSA was a no-brainer.
With SAE’s A World In Motion® (AWIM®) Gravity Cruiser Challenge, Montana TSA students design and build a vehicle powered by gravity. Through problem-solving and team-work, AWIM gives students a way to break out of their shell and develop solutions to real-world problems with the help of their peers. Jesse noted an extremely shy, intelligent student that didn’t like to ask for help was introduced to Gravity Cruiser through TSA. He was struggling with the challenge, and other students came to help him. After working with other TSA attendees, the group eventually got the vehicle to move. The excitement of the students and the obstacles they had to overcome to succeed is what Mary Ellen describes that stands out to her:
“These experiences [reach beyond] the classroom because it gives [students] opportunities to find out who they are, develop their leadership, and understand that they’re a part of the bigger world.”
TSA and SAE both share a mission in strengthening STEM programs, recognizing the need for robust STEM education in elementary and middle school as well as high school. Through TSA and AWIM, students are taught that failure is a pedestal of learning and part of real-world scenarios, so it’s important to pivot to why something did not work rather than feeling defeat. By cultivating a stimulating and nurturing learning environment, emphasizing the motto of “So what if we fail,” children find enjoyment in learning through failure, problem solving, and trying again.
For students, TSA can be an escape from everyday life and pressures, a place for them to thrive and flourish in a field they’re interested in. For educators, it’s a place to watch knowledge and communication culminate in group activities, a way to view first-hand the lives they change through education.
Jesse ran into a former student of his who was working towards their master’s degree in cybersecurity. He recalled that it was Jesse’s STEM class in school that inspired him to pursue this career path:
“He said ‘thanks. You introduced me to this, and I didn’t think anything about it, but this is my career now. This is what I’ve chosen.’”
Thanks to TSA and dedicated educators like Jesse and Mary Ellen, we’re making meaningful strides in fostering growth and innovation in STEM education.
With financial support from the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation and Cross Charitable Foundation among others, AWIM can impact Montana PreK-12 students in schools and through after-school programs. Montana TSA is planning to use AWIM curriculum and introduce workforce volunteers to engage and mentor new students as they continue to grow in reach and impact.
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