Experience Matters

Sci High offers many opportunities for students to have enrichment experiences focused on science and technology. These opportunities are supported by funds raised through the Foundation.

ENGINEERING A FUTURE

Sci High student Kenyal Rieux joined other high-achieving high school students from around the United States this summer in the Math Academy at the University of Washington's College of Engineering. The intensive residential session develops math and problem-solving skills while it exposes students to the range of careers available to engineers. She was one of four African-American students to be included––and the only one from outside Washington State.

It is the second year Sci High has participated in the program. Last year, Victor Carter and Alyseia Darby attended the Academy. Carter loves mathematics, especially its critical thinking component. "I like the hard stuff, looking at problems and then deciding which type of math I should use," he says. Darby added, "It was a lot of work, but I loved it. We were on a college campus, doing college work."

Adventures with Bruce the Robot

Robotics is a demanding field, and energetic, hard-working Sci High students are excelling in it, building and grooming a robot named Bruce.

The programs tend to thrive at larger, resource-rich, suburban schools, obviously not the Sci High profile. They also tend to be male-dominated; at Sci High, the 25 to 30 students involved are an even mix of females and males.

In peak competition season, club members can spend three days a week and every Saturday working with Bruce the Robot. Each club purchases a $7,000 box of parts and takes six weeks to build the machine. The rules allow spending an extra $10,000 on the robot, but the Sci High club's shoestring budget provides only $500 to $1,000 more.

Team members also partner with engineering mentors from area companies including Lockheed Martin and universities including Tulane and UNO.

You can catch a glimpse of Bruce in a current TV commercial for Entergy, a generous corporate supporter of Sci High projects.

TRAINED IN TECHNOLOGY

Sci High students can earn three different technology industry certifications through independent study, including A+ (signifying competency in configuring and troubleshooting PC hardware and operating systems), IC3 (covering hardware, software, the most common applications, and internet and e-mail protocols); and Adobe (digital graphics). The credentials can lead directly to careers or offer a head start on college work. Some students also get hands-on experience by working with the school's technology coordinator to service Sci High's own computers.