Engineering teaches critical thinking skills. These skills are in high demand not only in engineering, but also in other professions. The thinking skills of engineers include establishing replicable processes for presenting ideas, the ability to collect and analyze data, and the confidence in presenting solutions to problems.
Those skills aren’t just for engineers,. Everyone needs the critical thinking skills of engineers. These four high schools understand the implications for teaching engineering skills to all their students.
They’ve designed innovative engineering programs to help their students succeed.
Science Leadership Academy – Philadelphia, PA
This magnet school requires all ninth graders to take an engineering class. The class is an introduction to engineering, but it also introduces students to something much bigger.
Students learn how to take on big projects and complete them. It’s a life skill that students need, regardless of their fields of study. The introduction to engineering teaches students how to plan, break the project into manageable tasks, and collaborate with others. They also learn how to recover from failure when projects don’t go as intended.
The class teaches students confidence, and that’s transferrable to other disciplines.
Raisbeck Aviation High School – Seattle, WA
Take science, technology, engineering, and math, and place them in the context of aviation and aerospace, and you’ll have a high school like Raisbeck Aviation.
The high school developed from student interest in aviation and professional interest in teaching aerospace concepts and skills. The school focuses on immersing students in the STEM concepts they’ll need to become successful in their chosen fields. There’s also a commitment to providing every student with a personalized learning path.
Students engage in authentic learning experiences that teach them how to solve problems, and they also develop workplace skills while completing the requirements of a full high school curriculum that includes the humanities, social sciences, and the arts.
MC²STEM High School – Cleveland, OH
MC2STEM High School opened in 2012 with a goal of innovating, enriching, and engaging students in STEM projects. Students have access to local STEM leaders and exhibit space for their work.
As they progress through each year of high school, students build on prior STEM learning experiences. Ninth and tenth graders complete 10-week internships, and upperclassmen participate in 40-week internships. By the time students reach their senior year, they dual-enroll in college or find early acceptance in an apprenticeship program.
Kearny High School – San Diego, CA
Kearny High School is opening new doors for students enrolled in its STEM program. No longer destined to follow their parents in low-paying jobs, students explore career possibilities they had not yet considered. Engineering skills help to pave the way. The learning opportunities allow students to see real-life practice and identify college and career readiness goals.
The high school’s goal is to help students improve skills in cognitive analysis. Some of the students may even become engineers, but most importantly, they become critical thinkers.
High schools that teach engineering are teaching their students how to develop the critical thinking skills necessary for a productive life. You might find a high-ranking innovative STEM high school in your area.
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