Two weeks of hard work wrapped up for sixth and seventh grade students wishing to be innovators.
The Middle School Innovator’s Academy is a two-week, team-based education workshop for innovators from Pitt and Wake County Public Schools. Participants are specially selected for the program, which is taught by ECU and NCSU faculty, undergraduate and graduate students.
Participants learn creative ideation skills, practical sketching techniques, 2-D and 3-Ddigital imaging essentials, physical model building strategies and presentation skills. The students present their creative innovations at the graduation ceremony.
Emerson Asbell created an automatic lawn mower. He says he came up with the idea to free up some of his father’s time.
Wayne Godwin, the program’s director says they are always amazed by the projects students come up with.
“The idea that someone goes into a closet and invents a new idea is just not realistic.” Godwin said. “It takes teams to do these kinds of things. Putting them all together is what creates this energy that you feel today.”
The courses take place in ECU’s state-of-the-art Innovation Design Lab. This is the academy’s fifth year. DSM was one of the Academy’s sponsors.
“At DSM we are trying to make things better for people today and generations to come and watching these kids develop all these ideas is just incredible.” DSM Site Director Jim Lawless said.
The follow up to the program will be in the classroom. Come this fall, 3 Pitt County Middle Schools will have Science- Technology- Engineering and Math labs.
