Six Kent School District fifth grade teachers are participating in the Washington STEM and Washington MESA Engineering Fellows program.
Douglas Ferguson, Martin Sortun Elementary School; Julie Hagen, Covington Elementary School; Amanda Henry, Meridian Elementary School; Catie Larsen, Covington Elementary School; Donna Pearson, East Hill Elementary School; Wendi Warren, Carriage Crest Elementary are attending to increase engineering education efforts for their students.
Engineering Fellows is a highly competitive program that brings engineering expertise directly into fifth grade classrooms around the state. Thirty fifth grade teachers from the Yakima Valley and King County are collaborating with professional engineers and college/graduate engineering students to design and implement engineering design challenges that are integrated with their local curriculum.
“Teachers and engineers will work together through the Engineering Fellows program to create a high-quality STEM experience for Washington students,” said Patrick D’Amelio, CEO of Washington STEM. “Washington state is number two in STEM job availability, and Engineering Fellows will ensure students are ready to take advantage of these great opportunities.”
The engineering fellows are taking part in an intensive Summer Design Institute at the University of Washington; the fellows will develop a menu of design challenges and teaching plans to be used during the 2016-2017 school year.
“The participating teachers and engineering practitioners are lending their experience and expertise to elevate instructional strategies to better engage and inspire the next generation of engineers, scientist and leaders,” said James Dorsey, CEO of Washington MESA.
During the school year, students will benefit from the experience of their teachers as they engage in design challenges. The Fellows will reconvene throughout the year during Saturday sessions to reflect upon and refine the design challenges. Over the next three years, Washington STEM and Washington MESA plan to expand the program to ensure that almost 200 fifth grade teachers are equipped, empowered, and well-supported to engage students in engineering design challenges based on real-world problems.
Engineering Fellows:
5th Grade Teachers School District
Visala Hohlbein Bailey Gatzert Elementary School Seattle Public Schools
Samantha Egelhoff Thurgood Marshall Elem. School Seattle Public Schools
Aubrey Ashenbrenner Kimball Elementary School Seattle Public Schools
Nicole Trudeau Kimball Elementary School Seattle Public Schools
Marcia Ventura Maple Elementary School Seattle Public Schools
Angie Nall Arbor Heights Elementary School Seattle Public Schools
Indi Ekanayake Rainier Prep Public Charter
Scott Hicke Rainier Prep Public Charter
Harrison Pasion McMicken Heights Elementary Highline Public Schools
Diana Ryan McMicken Heights Elementary Highline Public Schools
Chris Brase Marvista Elementary School Highline Public Schools
Nancy Becker North Hill Elementary School Highline Public Schools
Wendi Warren Carriage Crest Elementary Kent School District
Donna Pearson East Hill Elementary School Kent School District
Douglas Ferguson Martin Sortun Elementary School Kent School District
Julie Hagen Covington Elementary School Kent School District
Catie Larsen Covington Elementary School Kent School District
Amanda Henry Meridian Elementary School Kent School District
Ronna Garcia Selah Intermediate Selah School District
Jennifer Quigley Selah Intermediate Selah School District
Angela Steiner Selah Intermediate Selah School District
Kristen Bucknell Union Gap School Union Gap School District
Megan Beckstrand Nob Hill Elementary School Yakima School District
Ron Richter Harrah Elementary School Mount Adams School District
Brian Buehler Harrah Elementary School Mount Adams School District
Raymond Merkel Washington Elementary School Sunnyside School District
Ruth Kupp Washington Elementary School Sunnyside School District
Ann Aliberti Chief Kamiakin Elementary School Sunnyside School District
Hillary Fought Hiawatha Elementary School Othello School District
Students Field / Major School
Alan Aragon Electrical Engineering Columbia Basin College
Armand Shahbazian Electrical Engineering Seattle University
Barbara Medina Mechanical Engineering Seattle University
Kristina Stern Mechanical Engineering/Computer Science Seattle University
Kelemua Tesfaye Civil Engineering Seattle University
Samira Rezaei Electrical Engineering University of Washington
Kenjiro Goodson Human Centered Design and Engineering University of Washington
Holly Brunner Materials Science Engineering University of Washington
Farah Nadeem Electrical Engineering University of Washington
More about Kent School District:
One of the largest school districts in Washington State, Kent has received 14 technology awards. It is the state’s most ethnically diverse district with more than 100 languages spoken. It is a Microsoft International Demonstration Site, the only district in the world with this designation. It is known for its technology in the classroom and educational innovation. Its service area covers 75 square miles in South King County.
