IGNITE Overview

Rocket science for high school students. This may sound like a strange, if not unbelievable type of program that is offered to high schools around the United States including local Waco schools like A.J. Moore Academy, McGregor High School and Waco High School, but it exists. It is called IGNITE.

 

IGNITE is a non-profit organization that trains teachers to educate high school students based on a curriculum that IGNITE develops. This curriculum is called SystemsGo Aero science.

 

IGNITE has a board of directors that consists of educators, retired military men and other professionals in the technology industry.

 

The mission statement of SystemsGo Aero science is “to enhance education for better workforce development and to ignite tomorrow’s innovators.” After all, the next generations after the leaders of today are the future leaders of tomorrow.

 

The SystemsGo program began in 1996 in Fredericksburg High School of Fredericksburg, Texas. Brett Williams, who began the program there, also helped develop IGNITE’S SystemsGo method of instruction.

 

This method of instruction for both participating students and their teachers, as indicated on the Web site, is:

 

“..Uses problem-solving and project-based learning to stimulate skills in design, development, testing, analysis, and innovation. IGNITE’S training prepares teachers to guide students in developing critical thinking, problem solving, testing, and analysis of skills necessary to complete year-long projects,”

 

Basically, the students conduct rocket-building projects based on the method of instruction with the aid of their teachers for fields of study such as aero science.

 

Students who have participated in the program (80% to be exact) have gone on to study Engineering in college and have taken jobs at places like NASA and United Space Alliance.

 

The program offers junior and senior students to participate. Schools interested in participating in the program must download an application on the Web site.

 

For more information, visit the Web site for IGNITE, http://www.igniteeducation.org.

Finding Your Future at Pathways to Technology

For individuals seeking a career or an education in technology, one Web site to explore should be Pathways to Technology. This site not only provides information about technology degree programs from community colleges around the country, but it offers an array of multimedia  tools to provide information to prospective students, returning students, guidance counselors, educators and parents. On this site, one can find descriptions about common technological jobs available for graduates, information about technology fields and degree programs, answers to frequently asked questions about following this career path and access to a listing of community colleges. Additionally, Pathways to Technology offers a series of seven videos totaling 90 minutes, which display technology fields, current students, professors and successful graduates from community colleges across the country.

For colleges that wish to shine the spotlight on their technology programs, Pathways to Technology provides a recruitment tool kit, which contains multimedia resources—video, activities, and customizable print pieces—that colleges can use to enhance ongoing recruitment efforts. The kit also includes sample agendas and planning and publicity tips.

Partners of Pathways to Technology include the American Association of Community Colleges, the nation’s primary advocacy organization for community colleges, the National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, and WGBH Boston, which is America’s preeminent public broadcasting producer and a pioneer in educational multimedia and in access technologies for people with disabilities.

Perhaps one of the most motivational aspects of the site is the portrayal of various success stories from community college graduates. Among these is the story of Roya Dirin, a woman who grew up in Iran, but came to America to pursue her dreams. While in Iran, Roya went to college, earned her bachelor’s degree, and worked as a midwife. With a solid background in biology, Roya enjoyed her job, but she was also interested in medical research, especially how drugs are developed and different treatments are discovered. When she was 30, Roya moved to the United States to be with her family and continue her education.

“At first, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” Roya admits. She started by taking English classes at Middlesex Community College, in Massachusetts, to become a more fluent English speaker. Soon after that, a friend’s excitement about the college’s biology program sparked Roya’s interest and introduced her to biotechnology.

“I had experience working with patients, but I had always wondered about the research that goes into treatments and cures. When I came here, I realized that biotech was the first step toward that goal. Going to community college was a good experience for me because I wasn’t just a student; I worked there. It gave me exposure to the kind of lab environment that I would eventually work in.” In two years, Roya graduated with her associate of applied science degree. Because biotech and pharmaceutical companies often recruit at Middlesex, Roya had a job offer before she graduated.Currently, Roya works at EMD Pharmaceuticals, a start-up company focused on cancer vaccine research. As an upstream processing associate, Roya’s job is to harvest and purify cells for needed proteins. “I really like my job. I get to be involved in cancer research, and be part of a team. Community college was a great first step to getting here.”

To see more inspirational success stories like these, and gain access to the other features that the Web site has to offer, visit Pathways to Technology today.

Jim Brazell, CEO and Founder of VentureRamp, Inc.

Innovation is defined as the action of innovating – the introduction of new ideas and methods, and the ability to be an innovator by profession is hard to attain for almost anyone. But if there is anything that Jim Brazell, CEO and founder of VentureRamp, can call himself based on his career accomplishments, innovator would be it.

“I’m all over the place,” Brazell said at the beginning of our phone interview. He was driving back to San Antonio, Texas, from Austin, Texas. “I give 50 speeches a year,” he said. As a full-time public speaker, he travels all over the world giving speeches and lectures on technology, economic development, community and the environment.

Jim got his start in the software industry while still in college, majoring in sociology. As an undergraduate, he was named a Gilder’s Fellow by the Discovery Institute in Seattle based on his research in the sociology of cyberspace. Much of Brazell’s focus throughout his educational and professional careers pertain to the fusion of telecommunications and computing.

His first job out of college consisted of providing a safe Internet environment for K-12 schools. In fact, it was Brazell and his co-workers at that job who provided the first subscription-based filter search engine for kids. The search engine was sponsored by Netscape. Out of this, Brazell began to refer to himself as an “evangelist for the use of telecommunications.”

But it was at a creativity conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, that Brazell realized that there was more to his career than traveling around in a jet and he began questioning his decision to uproot himself and his family to move out to California. “Basically, what I got out of that conference was this,” Brazell said. “If you’re not living your dream, what are you doing? I decided right there to call my wife and tell her I was coming home.”

Home is San Antonio, Texas. Brazell’s return marked a string of community service projects to promote community and technology in the San Antonio area. Among these was a bus tour and a black tie gala recognizing local teachers and scientists. At one of these events, Brazell met Dr. Eliza Evans, who was in need of a technical report to be completed.

Out of this, Brazell was able to add contributing to TSTC’s Emerging Technology reports to his agenda.

“From the reports, it relaunched my public speaking career,” Brazell said. Soon after, Brazell began working with another company that made career simulation video games. Brazell added enthusiastically, ”Video game stuff is cool.”

Lately, it is not only Brazell’s spoken words that are receiving attention, but also his written words concerning the intersection of science, technology and digital media. A paper that Brazell wrote in 2005 focusing on digital convergence initiatives and what regions around the world would be the next Silicon Valleys has been selected for presentation at the International Conference of Technology Policy and Innovation in Porto, Portugal. The topic of the conference will be how to loosen the economic crisis digitally. According to Brazell’s paper, the next Silicon Valleys will involve not only the energy industry, but also and perhaps more importantly – the arts.

Digital convergence and public speaking may be his latest focus and as Brazell continues to take the technology industry by storm, he keeps in mind the importance of innovaiton with conscience and living his dream.

Trends in Texas Technical Education

Texas Two-Year College Technical Education Trends is a PowerPoint presentation by Michael Bettersworth, Associate Vice Chancellor for Technology Advancement at Texas State Technical College. Originally presented at a biotech conference hosted last year by Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, the PowerPoint traces key trends in colleges over the past decade. It demonstrates how students benefit from attending a two-year college, especially when interested in entering an emerging technology field, such as the ones listed below. Bettersworth predicts that these areas of technology will elicit large amounts of interest and research in the near future:

• Avionics
• Airframe and Powerplant
• Pilot and Instructor Certification
• Automation and Robotics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Laser Optics
• Process and Instrumentation
• Mechatronics
• Industrial Engineering
• Chemical/Environmental

In particular, the presentation emphasizes the importance of a technical education by showing that emerging technology fields require a combination of skills–that is, job mergers–that have previously been isolated to one area of technology. An example of this, as shown in the presentation, is a wind turbine technician who must have the skills of a lineman, an oil field technician and a farm mechanic. By being educated as a technician a student can not only become proficient in varied sets of skills, but can also gain the skills necessary as a stepping stone for specific careers, such as a registered nurse or an emergency medical technician.

As well as laying the foundation for a solid career, two-year colleges are able to give students a well-rounded education. The presentation shows both that employers are now requiring post-secondary training more than ever before and that two-year colleges are receiving more awards in all areas, not just technical education, than they have in previous years. One graph draws the conclusion that “a rising trend of openings suggests that job opportunities may be growing faster than qualified candidates are being found to fill them.” With this in mind, students who are interested in attaining a thorough, specialized education and joining the workforce sooner rather than later may find exactly what they are looking for through technical education at a two-year college.

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Career Opportunities in Avionics

If you are a problem solver seeking a chance to get involved in a thriving industry with a lot of opportunities, avionics may be exactly what you are looking for.

Avionics stands for aviation electronics. Though avionics technicians are often grouped with aircraft mechanics and power plant mechanics, the word avionics refers specifically to the electrical components of an aircraft.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics gives the following examples of electrical systems that are maintained by avionics technicians:

• aircraft navigation;
• radio communications;
• weather radar systems; and
• other instruments and computers that control flight, engine, and other primary functions.

Avionics technicians are expected to maintain, inspect, and repair these systems according to Federal Aviation Administration standards. These regulations are rigidly enforced and require a technician to be able to keep precise records of all the maintenance and repair he or she does on an aircraft.

The records kept on an aircraft are so important that strong communication skills are a must because these records must provide other technicians with enough information about an aircraft so that they can complete a diagnostic based on its reported maintenance and flight history. Other skills that trainees should have, according to CareerOverview.com, include an understanding of mathematics, physics, chemistry, electronics, computer science, and mechanical drawing. Grasping the major concepts in these areas will contribute to technicians’ abilities to make quick repairs and understanding of how an aircraft works. Avionics technicians often work on high platforms, small or uncomfortable spaces, or in strange positions for relatively long periods of time as airplanes can be oddly shaped different sizes. Persistence and motivation are good characteristics to have in avionics, and people who see themselves as problem-solvers may find this career especially rewarding because it is based on completing a wide variety of projects that require highly specialized skills.

Avionics programs offer a way to begin gaining the three or four years of experience needed to get a job in the aviation industry. Avionics is one of the most heavily regulated fields in the United States; therefore, being trained by an FAA certified program is essential to learning the laws and regulations surrounding the industry, and will eventually prepare you for work in an FAA certified environment. Around 200 two-year colleges, technical schools, and universities offer avionics courses and degrees in avionics, aviation technology, or aviation maintenance management. Although the National Center for Avionic Technician Training is in the process of creating a certificate for avionic system installation/integration, no system of national certification for individuals currently exists, apart from a two-year or a four-year degree. One-hundred seventy of these programs offered through colleges are said, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to be approved by the FAA. A list of colleges that offer training in avionics can be found through the National Center for Education Statistics Web site.

Wide-spread career opportunities for post-training technicians can be found at FAA repair stations and small commuter and regional airlines. These places offer opportunities to gain hands-on experience and are frequently located throughout the country, as opposed to large airports or aircraft manufacturers that may offer more money and have a higher volume of employees. Job opportunities for people in the avionics field are estimated to go up due to the increasing amount of electrical/computer technology in aircraft as well as the increasing number of experienced technicians who are beginning to retire, leaving positions for a younger generation to fill. The places with the highest number of avionics technicians, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are concentrated in the Midwest (Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas). The state averages for pay range is from $15 an hour to $30 an hour, depending on where you work and how difficult or specialized what you are doing is. Places like Hawaii and Alaska generally pay more because avionics techs are more difficult to hire in remote areas

CareerOverview.com says that opportunities in the avionics field won’t be diminishing in the future: “As advancements in the complexity of aircraft continue, the demand for skilled and knowledgeable mechanics will increase. Competition will remain stiff, since the major airlines offer good wages and great travel benefits.” Avionics is a complex, specialized career that is essential to the past, current, and future movements of aircraft technology and avionics technicians are necessary to the safety and efficiency of the aviation industry.

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