Last month, Canton Middle School hosted its second Lunch and Learn of the year. Both 7th and 8th graders were able to apply for a spot in the session, and those who were selected to attend got to experience a robotics project, courtesy of Haywood Community College. The motivation for many of the attending students was simple: they were curious about a potential future job. As 7th grader Josh Mann observed, “I wanted to see if an engineering career would be one that I would like to pursue someday.”
After students enjoyed Blimpie subs and cake they dove into the hands-on robotics project with the presenters from HCC – Matt Heimburg (High School Programs Coordinator), Douglas Long (Business and Industry Dean), and Darrell Frizzell (Industrial System Technology Instructor).
Students created robots from assembly kits and were able to learn about how and why robotics is an important field of study (and career path) in today’s world. At the heart of it, for many students, was the fascination tied to building a machine from parts and then bringing it to life. As 7th grader Summer Shuler put it, what she liked the most was, “Watching it move, because that’s what I did with my own hands!”
Students also received key chains created by a 3D printer and learned more about how that technology impacts robotics and other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) career fields. 3D printing is a technology that is already present in many schools in the Haywood County School system, including Canton Middle School’s Project Lead the Way course, as well as another 3D printer which is in use by the school’s science department.
Allie Roberts, a 7th grader who said she was “intrigued” by the 3D printing, was appreciative of the overwhelming hands-on aspect of the session. “We didn’t just watch some video,” she recalled. “We got to actually build a robot!”
CMS lunch and learn co-coordinator, guidance counselor Sarah Peterson, attributed the school’s ability to offer the special eye-opening sessions to local corporate generosity. “We are so grateful,” she said, “to Duke LifePoint Haywood Regional Medical Center for awarding us the grant that allows us to offer a special hands-on learning experience to our students several times this year!”
Without a doubt, students had a fun time learning about technology and working together on a project. Hayley Belk, a 7th grader, had nothing but good things to report about the experience, including the quality of the presenters. “It was really fun,” she said, “and you got to meet nice people.”
Next up is the third CMS Lunch and Learn of the year, which will help students get to know more about health care careers – with the main focus on nursing.
Submitted by: Bill Hunt, Canton Middle School
