Twenty-seven seventh-grade students from the Alexander School District toured Time Warner Cable in Rochester on April 5. This field trip was about "cracking the codes in the wireless world™" curriculum.
The visit included a stop in the engineering department and a look behind
the scenes at YNN (“Your News Now” – 24 Hour Local News), including the
newsroom, studio, engineering and the YNN live truck.
This was an exciting time for the students as they were able to see and then learn about this vast technology of communications.
Robert Hollwedel (Alexander Technology teacher) and Samantha Lippmann
(Alexander Science teacher) took the students to the Time Warner Cable
facilities as part of an ongoing effort to foster opportunities for the Alexander students in the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) curriculum.
Hollwedel and Lippman have been working together in various programs that offer STEM programming for the Alexander students. It is anticipated that their efforts in collaborative programming can develop an ever needed interest in the area of engineering.
Hollwedel has found that U.S. jobs are growing most rapidly in areas that require knowledge and skills stemming from a strong grasp of science, engineering and technology. In some locations, primarily information technology, business leaders are warning of a critical shortage in skilled American workers that is threatening their ability to compete in the global marketplace.
Lippmann cited that currently across America, there is a shortfall of students enrolling in the STEM curricula, especially amongst females.
These two instructors from Alexander have been afforded these opportunities through a partnership with Sara Garvey of Time Warner Cable -- who has been a dynamic leader in establishing the hands-on activities for students through their Connect A Million Minds Program.
Time Warner Cable’s (TWC) Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) is a five-year,
$100 million philanthropic initiative to address America’s declining proficiency in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), which puts our children at a competitive disadvantage.
CAMM leverages TWC assets across cable television and the Internet to drive
awareness of this critical issue and provide simple, easy ways for parents and kids to get involved in their own communities.
Middle school students, teachers, parents and organizations can sign-up to participate in Time Warner Cable's signature program by visiting www.connectamillionminds.com.
