Photo By Brigida Sanchez | Participants of the "Imagine Tomorrow" program and their mentors from left to right:...... read more read more
They had a few things in common - determination, discipline and a dedication to learning that led them to enroll in the “Imagine Tomorrow” program, an effort geared toward challenging high school students to pursue sustainable, innovative, socially and environmentally conscious projects.
It also inspired young adults to “forge connections in their communities and create positive change.” (Alaska Airlines, https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/273766)
Andrew Sayers, site coordinator with the 21st Century Community Learning Center said he and its program director “Brent Cummings, “have a passion for getting young women engaged in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.”
They obtained a grant, launched an after-school program and sought out mentors at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Sayers worked closely with a Corps Walla Walla District civil engineer, Amanda Morelos, in finding innovative ways to introduce the students, to tactical exploration, critical thinking, problem-solving and most importantly team building skills.
Many Corps staff are engaged in STEM outreach because they understand the critical need to plant the seed at home in the very communities that the Corps serves, which leads to connecting students to real-world careers in STEM. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wants to continue to grow determined, disciplined leaders with a dedication to serving our nation.
Morelos notes, “At first it was difficult for the girls to grasp some of the concepts that we introduced. By the end of the activities, they started working as a team and learned how to think outside of the box a bit more.”
Cheyenne Webb, an “Imagine Tomorrow” student with an affinity towards the arts said, “I thought the program would help me get out of my comfort zone. I sometimes struggle in my science class,” she said and “sometimes it’s not easy. But being part of this program, I was able to work around it with help from the group.”
The Wa-Hi students formed two teams, and they presented at the Beasley Coliseum with approximately 400 students from Washington and Oregon this year.
“I loved having the Corps as a partner this year,” Sayers said. “Many of our girls in ‘Imagine Tomorrow’ never leave Walla Walla, so giving them this opportunity to expand through their vision of who they can be is important.”
“Because of Amanda’s participation we now have a knowledge base of where there are actual things going on. When we went to Ice Harbor Dam it was the coolest experience -- to answer questions like ‘how do we use power in Washington state?’ ‘Where does it come from?’ Having that relationship with the Corps is a good opportunity,” he said.
For Amanda, it was an excellent opportunity to be involved in STEM and contribute to a program such as "Imagine Tomorrow" that didn’t exist when she was in school.
“I don’t think there were any programs like this in which I was able to use my creativity for the betterment of the environment,” she said. “This was a unique opportunity because our world is in real need of people of all ages to start thinking about sustainability issues. I was happy to be involved.”
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 06.15.2018 11:57 |
| Story ID: | 281026 |
| Location: | WALLA WALLA, WA, US |
| Hometown: | PULLMAN, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Determined, Disciplined and Dedicated: Corps helps the Imagine Tomorrow program prepare students for environmental sustainability, by Brigida Sanchez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT