Volunteers from Ford and General Motors Support STEM Learning in Detroit
When the call went out for volunteers to support STEM learning at Emerson Elementary School in Detroit, two employees, one from Ford Motor Company and one from General Motors, immediately jumped in to help.
With the SAE A World In Motion® (AWIM® ) STEM program expanding from a few classrooms to targeting every student in the school, there simply weren’t enough industry volunteers to keep up with the growing demand.
Over the summer Allison Collins, materials technical specialist at Ford, and Eric Nagel, Engineering Group Manager, Hydrogen fuel cell test engineering operations with General Motors, met with retired Emerson teacher Mrs. Vyas to brainstorm ideas for a volunteer drive at the school.
Although Allison and Eric were both long-time AWIM volunteers at Emerson, this was the first time they collaborated on a joint one-day event to engage new and current volunteers. Working together with Mrs. Vyas, they explored ideas for a 90-minute activity incorporating different hands-on AWIM elements–ultimately deciding on a modified version of the “egg drop.” Students would be able to pick their own chassis from either the AWIM Gravity Cruiser or JetToy challenge and use different materials to secure and protect the egg as it traveled down a ramp into a cinder block.
The 90-minute morning event was a huge hit with volunteers and students—far exceeding Mrs. Vyas’ expectations. 19 volunteers including Allison and Eric worked with two classrooms of middle school students on the challenge.
After dividing into teams of four, the students worked together to build their vehicles designed to keep their delicate cargo safe. Points were given for the egg staying secured in its seat and remaining uncracked. The teams with the highest point totals competed again for the ultimate first place winner with three teams tying for second place!
With prospective industry volunteers often strapped for time, this unique and flexible STEM program gave attendees the opportunity to get involved in their local community and make a tremendous impact on young learners in as little as 90 minutes. There’s something about seeing a student experience their first “Aha” STEM experience that can leave a lasting impression on first-time classroom volunteers. One attendee was even overheard saying they enjoyed the experience so much they hoped to bring their whole group to volunteer the next time.
“Turnout for our first-ever volunteer drive was amazing. Our students really loved working with volunteers from General Motors and Ford as well as retired teachers and Ricardo engineers. You could hear them talking about it all week with the entire class. I can’t wait to work with Ms. Allison and Mr. Eric on our next volunteer event,” said Mrs. Vyas.
Volunteering in a STEM classroom can make a real difference in a child’s life. Learn more about opportunities to support our AWIM PreK – 12 STEM programming.
