Like many students, Rebecca Vollmann didn’t have access to crucial STEM classes in middle school and high school. In fact, she didn’t take her first physics class until she was already an undergraduate engineering major at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
Unfortunately, these gaps in STEM learning are still all too common. Now that she’s working full-time in the mobility industry, she’s making it her mission to eliminate those gaps for young learners.
Through her alumni network at UCF, Rebecca was able to connect with a teacher at Avalon Middle School in Orlando, FL. The school has an after-school STEM club with more than 60 students and they’re always looking for new hands-on STEM experiences that relate to real-world challenges.
Working together with SAE, Rebecca was able to bring the A World In Motion® (AWIM) Fuel Cell and Motorized Toy Car challenges to the club. She also enlisted the help of 20 UCF students to support classroom learning and provide invaluable near-peer mentoring.
What made the experience even better is that many of the UCF students were working on gear ratios in their undergraduate classes and were able to make a direct connection to what they were learning with how it applies to their AWIM builds.
When the UCF students introduced themselves and talked about how they were able to design and build a race car through SAE University Programs, the middle schoolers couldn’t believe it. “You built that all by yourself with no adult help?” one student asked. “If I want to join the SAE University Programs team and build a car at UCF, what can I do now?” another eagerly wondered.
Throughout the month-long STEM program, students were so focused on what they were learning they often forgot about their afternoon snacks—a point that wasn’t lost on their teacher.
On the final day, students had a chance to reflect on what they learned by debating the pros and cons of the different technologies used in the Fuel Cell and Motorized Toy Car challenges.
Based on the overwhelming success of the program, other teachers and administrators at Orange County Public Schools in Orlando are now asking how they can get involved. The UCF classroom volunteers are also eager to find more ways to mentor young learners in their community.
Looking forward, Rebecca hopes to expand the program beyond Orlando and central Florida to reach even more students with hands-on AWIM STEM experiences during the coming school year.
This is just one story in one middle school. Imagine how many more students we can reach when you make a gift to the SAE Foundation this back-to-school season.
You Can Make a Difference!
Your back-to-school gift of just $40 will ensure a young learner will have early access to life-changing STEM education.
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