2017-2018 motorola stem solutions for florida’s future · of florida education foundations to...

2017-2018

Motorola STEM Solutions for Florida’s Future

Year End Report

Final Grant Report Submitted to the Motorola Solutions Foundation June 2018

By the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations

Connecting classroom curriculum to STEM careers

for Florida’s future workforce

For the past seven years Florida’s students

have continued to find…STEM Solutions!

Since 2011 the Motorola Solutions Foundation has partnered with the Consortium

of Florida Education Foundations to support student achievement in STEM areas

through $5,000 grants to local education foundations to distribute for quality

teacher projects in their district. Here is what we have accomplished together

through $350,000 in Motorola funds provided to date:

66 projects have been completed

18,572 students have been impacted

169 STEM business partners have been engaged

and a total of $436,275 has been invested

Local education foundation participants were challenged to develop partnerships

with local businesses or other relevant stakeholders in developing programs aligned

with unique opportunities, resources and workforce needs of their geographic area.

They applied through a competitive grant process and were required to

incorporate at least 20 hours of student-business partner contact hours in their

project.

Inside this report is a glimpse of the tremendous impact these projects have had

this year throughout the state. Thank you Motorola Solutions Foundation!

In 2017-2018 alone,

Motorola STEM Solutions impacted:

2,121 Students

42 Teachers

24 Local Business Partners

Positive Impact!

• 81% of student participants showed

increased interest in taking STEM

classes in the future


increased interest in pursuing a

STEM major


increased interest in pursuing a

STEM career

• 63% of student participants increased

STEM-subject grade by at least a half

letter grade

Applied Underwater Robotics

Broward Education Foundation

South Broward High School

Grades 9-12

177 students impacted

1 teacher participated

This project provided equipment, software and professional development for high

school students and teachers to support STEM initiatives through computer-aided

design and underwater robotics. Students used computer-aided design software to

develop the components of an AUV and robotic arm and, using the additive

manufacturing process (3D Printing), produced the design components. Then they

tested the design in a controlled in environment (swimming pool). Twenty-four

students passed the Auto-desk Certified User Exam, equipping them with

marketable 2D and 3D design skills.

Business partner Baxley Ocean Vision helped develop the framework for

the project and the search and rescue professionals at the Broward

Sheriff’s Office discussed advances in technologies that assist with their

operations, including ROVs, robotics and helicopters.

Students will participate in Skills USA in Urban Search and Rescue, Mobile Robotics,

Computer Programming, and Engineering Design competitions. Students will also

compete in the Sea-perch ROV and MATE ROV competitions.

• 83% of participating students increased STEM-subject grade

• 73% of participating students showed increased interest in taking STEM classes

• 68% of participating students showed increased interest in pursuing a STEM career

• 68% of participating students showed increased interest in pursuing a STEM major

Coding with the Web Krewe

Clay County Education Foundation

Fleming Island High School

Grades 9-12


2 teachers participated

This project’s goal was to have students gain experience in creating individual and

business websites, using a cloud-based web development platform. Students worked

collaboratively, leaning on each other to plan and problem-solve throughout their

projects, modeling the IT work environment. The students built two websites: one for a

small business, and the other for the education foundation. But not only that, the

students learned to communicate, work through deadlines and the business process,

communicate their work with a larger audience through demos and hands-on learning

outreach in this area, and to persevere through problem solving.

There was competitive element to the program, where teams came together to compete

on their design principles. Business partners attended all team meetings, guided the

learning of the principles of coding and website development, and mentored the students

as they worked on website design. The business partners Ijhana, STEM2 Hub,

Alluvion Staffing, Microsoft and Naval Air Station Jacksonville

Engineering Group also mentored the students in business management and

creativity. Some students were offered the opportunity to participate in internship

experiences as a result of the program.



• 83% of students showed increased interest in pursuing a STEM career


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StyZs3kVDSg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StyZs3kVDSg

Agri Robotics

Flagler County Education Foundation

Indian Trails Middle School

Grades 7-8



The goal of this program was to create a Farmbot, a robotic gardening system, as a

completely self-sufficient system to introduce students to the new concept of open-

sourced production farming and how to integrate robotics and agriculture. It

incorporated not only robotic systems but also tied it to local vocational skills

throughout much of our county in agriculture. This project gave students a hands-on

experience into the possibilities of crop production in the 21st century. Students learned

how to control the Farmbot by creating a program to run using their school-supplied

laptops. They had to think about weight distribution, balance, center of gravity, durability,

self-reinforcing designs, and cost effectiveness when building their robots. They were

able to schedule a watering timetable, weeding schedule, and plant layout for their

garden through the downloadable program. The students learned how to physically build

their raised bed gardens and how to assemble the high-tech system.

One of the project components this year was the addition of a project cost analysis on

the robot they built for each group’s final project. Teaching the students how our

economy is rapidly changing and the effects of it has been very beneficial, not only for the

students but for the teacher as well. Together with business partner VerdeGro,

they have learned how the addition of technology hasn’t decreased the number of jobs,

but it has changed the skills required for new jobs.



• 43% of students showed increased interest in pursuing a STEM career


https://youtu.be/McO4OIIoi3g

https://youtu.be/McO4OIIoi3g

Mission: Tampa Bay

Hillsborough Education Foundation

Swift Creek Middle School

Grades K-8



Mission: Tampa Bay is a girls-only underwater robotics program supported by the

Tampa Bay STEM Network and associated partners. The program is

facilitated by National Geographic Explorer Erika Bergman and hosted at TBSN partners.

Students built underwater ROVs from scratch, including welding and soldering at MOSI

and The Florida Aquarium, inclusive of an overnight stay at the aquarium. On the third

and final day of the camp, parents and families were welcomed out on the Florida

Aquarium Catamaran while the girls worked in teams to operate their ROVs in Tampa

Bay. After the immersive experience, the ROVs were taken back to school sites and the

girls facilitated additional projects, experiments and the like with their peers. This

element addressed leadership skills, team-building and confidence in STEM.

Students impacted by this year's camp were encouraged to continue to take additional

electives in STEM, as well as attend STEM-related out of school time experiences. As a

result, some participants have been invited to mentor and facilitate a summer camp

experience at The Florida Aquarium and have an opportunity to serve as a robotics play

guide at the Glazer Children's Museum. This year's camp attendees will also be invited

back in 2019 to serve as mentors/facilitators. All participants are now a part of National

Geographic Explorer, Erika Bergman's "STEM Girls Club."




Bradenton Area Drone Olympics

Manatee Education Foundation

Nolan Middle School

Grades 6-8



This was a successful program initiative that engaged seven classes that served as "Drone

Test Labs" and received Tiny Whoop drone kits. Students worked in teams learning how

to build it, work in BetaFlight software, and how to maneuver the drone through a set

flight pattern. Students also explored the use of drones in the 21st Century workplace.

Each school held individualized races to narrow down the number of pilots headed to

the Olympics. The program included two professional development workshops for

teachers and students by GetFPV, the drone vendor, who also sent out technicians

to the schools for individualized support. United Drone Services, LLC, a

local provider of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flight services and customized data

analysis, provided numerous presentations to the students regarding the practical use of

drones. Other partners included SOFWERX who hosted Sugg Middle School's in-

school challenge, FlyMotion Classroom and Manatee County Fire

Department. The program culminated with the first-ever Bradenton Area Drone

Olympics held at the Manatee Technical College.




Powering the Future of STEM

Polk Education Foundation

Bok Academy

Grades 6-8



During this project students addressed and researched past, present, and future energy

sources of production. They designed a virtual circuit board and built a miniature solar

house to demonstrate how electricity travels from the power plant to a home. Classes

integrated micro:bit and chibitronics coding kits for light box and utilities packages

activities. This newly acquired knowledge and hands-on exploration of how energy is

created and controlled in a reaction, along with disaster preparedness, provided a basis

for earth science activities: designing and testing a wind turbine; safe solar viewing; and

tracking the sun’s path to determine the optimum angle for energy generation by a solar

panel. The teacher presented the project nationally at the NSTA, STEMcon and CEISMIC

Conferences.

One of the biggest impacts of the project was increased student awareness with

community partners Duke Energy and Florida Energy Systems

Consortium. It introduced partnered students with organizations that expanded

awareness, knowledge, and understanding of energy. The partnerships and career

support from them and the real time “hands on” component actualized classroom

studies and provided students involved with real in the field projects.





Energizing Girls Engineering

Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools

Milwee Middle School, Grades 6-8



This project allowed female students an opportunity to meet once a month for breakfast,

complete an engineering activity, engage with guest speakers and enjoy food and

fellowship with each other. With our Florida Solar Energy Center partner,

students learned about solar energy and hydrogen fuel cells and used the knowledge

gained to complete several different hands-on engineering builds. While at the solar

energy center the girls were taught by female engineers and the girls felt free to ask

questions not only about the energy topic but about how the instructors chose their

path and the obstacles they faced and had to overcome to get to their position.

With partners Altamonte Springs Life Magazine and the Grow

Central Florida Foundation, the girls were challenged to design their own

tennis shoes. Students then took project ideas and final products and presented the

project as a part of a “How to Increase Girl Involvement in STEM” presentation to the

ITEEA convention. Students were exposed to a CSI unit at the Orlando Science Center

and heard from an IT instructor at Seminole State College on IT careers and

program studies.

Students will continue the Girls Engineering Breakfast Club and working to increase

involvement. Several students are joining the school Technology Student Association

Team and VEX Robotics Team.




Gone with the Wind Tunnel

FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools

Pine Ridge High School, Grades 6-12



This project’s primary goals were to construct the body tub for a scratch built electric

race car and to use that platform to help feeder middle schools construct bodies for

their own kit-based electric race cars. The students learned how to fail; in fact, they

learned that failure is integral to engineering. They tried ideas, evaluated their strengths

and weaknesses, and learned that design and application are vastly different realities.

The lightest, most efficient car design possible was the end goal. Aerodynamics were

studied and debated, and every measure was taken to decrease the frontal area of the

car. Center of gravity was taken into consideration with regards to handling. We had to

explore new design software after our original modeling program proved too

cumbersome for the organic body shape. Students learned that all the systems on the car

are interconnected. If one element was changed, several others had to be modified as

well. Students learned hard skills in fabrication, mold making, and composite materials by

building the car's body. They also learned soft skills in team work and interacting with

the public and business partners Daytona Beach Street Rods and

Dougherty Manufacturing. Most importantly though they learned pride in

craftsmanship and grit in overcoming problems through continuous improvement.





STEM at Work

Florida Panhandle Technical College Foundation

Florida Panhandle Technical College, Grade 6



Students gained hands-on experience working side-by-side with STEM industry experts

to discover, explore, and solve real-world problems in the STEM areas of aviation

science, electrical engineering, aeronautical engineering, robotics, 3D design, and

audio/visual technologies:

• Aviation science was introduced by FPTC instructors, who taught students the

science and technology involved in the design and flight of unmanned vehicle systems

(drones).

• Students learned about electrical circuitry and coding by using an Arduino, an open-

source physical computing platform based on a simple microcontroller board and a

development environment for writing software for the board.

• With partner Naval Surface Warfare Center, students engaged in a

model rocket building activity culminating in a rocket launch.

• With partner FSU STEM Institute, students were introduced to the science

and technology of underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). STEM concepts

inherent in the Seaperch activity included: ship and submarine design, buoyancy/

displacement, propulsion, vectors, electricity/circuits and switches, ergonomics,

waterproofing, depth measurement, basic physics of motion, and career possibilities.

• Students were led through a 3D design, CAD and CAM software project, discussing

STEM connections and careers in the field.

In the future, students will participate in the STEM Club, Rocketry Camp, National

Association of Rocketry, the Southeast Alabama Rocketry Society and dual-enrollment

career/technical programs at FPTC.




Publicity and Additional Project Materials

Social Media Posts

Media Coverage

Foundation and CFEF Articles

Quotes

Polk County, Powering the Future of STEM

• I can now read and understand fuel economy. (Student)

• Now I understand why Mr. Lockett drives a hybrid car. (Student)

• Future careers in the energy field are everywhere. (Student)

• Solar energy in our community can create and refine solutions to energy

problems. (Student)

• It’s really kind of cool to have solar panels on your roof. (Teacher)

Seminole County, Energizing Girls Engineering

Milwee Girls Engineering Club has given both my daughters the ability to see

Engineering in action. Hands on activities at the monthly breakfast and meeting

women engineers at breakfast or on field trips has allowed them to picture

themselves as future engineers. (Parent)

The girls engineering club has helped me to become more confident in my

engineering abilities. Not only did this club help me to discover my passion for

engineering, but it let me be surrounded by an awesome group of girls who love

and support each other. I know that no matter what path in life I choose,

engineering will play a big role in it, thanks to this amazing club and its wonderful

contributions to the lives of young girls like me. (Student)

Girls Engineering Club has been a fantastic experience for my daughter. As a shy

and quiet 7th grader, Kylie has enjoyed the fun experiments. Her favorite field trip

was the Orlando Science Center. There were engineering projects that can’t be

done during a usual visit. (Parent)

Washington County, STEM at Work

This was a WONDERFUL opportunity for our students! Kids and teachers alike came

back with lots of information and details about things they’ve never been exposed

to before. Thanks for making that possible. (Principal)

On behalf of Florida’s local education foundations the

Consortium of Florida Education Foundations thanks you

for your commitment to enhancing student achievement

and interest in STEM careers with your investment in

Motorola STEM Solutions for Florida’s Future.

Mary Chance, President

Consortium of Florida Education Foundations

P.O. Box 358719

Gainesville, FL 32635-8719

(352) 338-0250 • [email protected]

2017-2018 motorola stem solutions for florida’s future · of florida education foundations to...

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