In an increasingly technological world, an educational background in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines has become increasingly important. As the mission at Northwest State Community College is to create opportunities for success for its students, we have labored to provide a sound STEM education that is crucial to that mission.
At NSCC, we do not educate in a vacuum. We realize that, in order to allow our students to reach their full potential, we seek to take advantage of our network of industrial, governmental and academic organizations to provide a full range of educational opportunities in STEM. In short, we expose our students to practitioners.
In practice, this takes two forms: invited speakers and field-trips. With respect to invited speakers, our experience has been that many organizations are committed to STEM education and welcome opportunities to interact with college students.
A NSCC student demonstrates making homemade “goo,” relating chemistry concepts to a fun hands-on experience.
A good example of this is the efforts of our chemistry instructor, Dr. Tom Carr, to enhance exposure to practitioners through guest speakers in his classes. A partial listing of the industrial organizations that have provided guest speakers, includes: Kuhlman Corporation (concrete and masonry products), BASF (automotive finishes) and Johns-Manville (fibrous glass-based insulation and composites). Moreover, there have been speakers from public-sector organizations. These include the University of Toledo’s Pharmacy School (which has a curriculum featuring the science of cosmetics and other personal care products), the University of Findlay’s Nuclear Medicine Institute and the US Department of Agriculture (the science surrounding agriculture and water usage).
With respect to field-trips, NSCC has enjoyed the good fortune of taking our students to visit a variety of organizations. A partial listing of such organizations that have welcomed Tom and his students over the past eight years, includes: Spangler Candy (noted manufacturer of Dum Dum® lollipops), Sauder Woodworking (leading manufacturer of ready-to-assemble residential furniture), Master Chemical (leading supplier of industrial coolants and lubricants) and the Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen (a business incubator, which instructs entrepreneurs in both the science and commercial aspects of the food industry). Other institutions that have accommodated Dr. Carr’s classes have been: Kuhlman Corporation (technical aspects of the concrete industry), the Nuclear Medicine Institute at the University of Findlay (which not only exposed our students to the medical applications of nuclear science; but also, to the University’s sonography curriculum), Johns-Manville (which exposed NSCC students to the chemical and physical property testing of fibrous glass-based materials) and Sauder Woodworking (which conducted both a plant tour and a laboratory tour).
The contacts which have been developed by these activities have been of benefit to Dr. Carr’s chemistry students. Two examples are those of Jacob Braatz and Ben Black. Both students have found internship positions within Sauder Manufacturing. Jacob has been doing engineering work while Ben has been working in the R&D and testing laboratories. These students received unique opportunities to work in the STEM arena because NSCC has encouraged direct exposure to STEM practitioners.
– Dr. Tom Carr, math, sciences & engineering faculty
Northwest State is bringing the hands-on excitement of STEM to area schools! The brainchild of NSCC engineering faculty member Mike Kwiatkowski, the STEM-in-a-Box concept provides stations of hands-on activities for kids to enjoy.
Kwiatkowski shares, “STEM is a vital part of our area’s manufacturing efforts and an equally vital part of students’ education. STEM-in-a-Box shows kids that they can have fun while applying the things they’re learning in the classroom to these experiments and activities.”
