After a successful introduction into the Clarkston School District last year, ‘A World in Motion? returned to Pine Knob Elementary on Jan. 5.
The program, sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers, has been around for over a decade, but 2006 was the first time students in the district participated. The initial program focused only on fourth-grade students at two schools, PKE and Clarkston Elementary.
According to Robert Ferer, a full-size truck engineer for General Motors, the program went over so well, it expanded to fifth grade and will be at Springfield Plains Elementary as well.
Ferer, who introduced the program to PKE last year, said he had participating in the program in Flint, and knew it was something he wanted to bring to Clarkston.
‘This is something I want my kids to be involved with,? said Ferer, whose children attend PKE.
As with the previous year, volunteer engineers from GM visit the participating schools every Friday for six weeks.
On Jan. 5, the students gathered in the school cafeteria to hear from several engineers about the upcoming project, the Skimmer Challenge.
The students work in teams at the request of a fictional toy company to develop and build a prototype toy skimmer.
But building a proper skimmer requires more than a sense of style. Students will run tests using small fans to determine how well their skimmer works and will work in teams to analyze the data they record to see where improvements can be made.
Ferer said the project is intended to help students build an interest in the math and science that go into engineering projects.
‘It’s not just numbers and facts, you can do cool stuff,? Ferer said.
During the initial presentation, several engineers spoke to students about the work they do with GM and the important skills it takes to work on complicated projects in teams.
‘Everybody has an opinion and we should respect everyone’s ideas when we’re brainstorming,? said Bryan Hackett, a GM engineer.
Chris Baker, a windnoise development engineer, also participated in the program last year and said he really enjoyed the way students get involved.
‘It’s fun,? Baker said, adding that students get so caught up in their projects, ‘they don’t even realize they’re learning.?