Explore 2000 Middle School students at HTHS STEM Day

On February 10, 2916, students from the Explore 2000 Middle School attended High Tech High School's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Day. Held in February to observe Career and Technical Education month, the school's business and higher education partners engaged with High Tech's Digital Design and Fabrication Academy (DFAB) students to offer a day targeting college and career readiness for sophomores and juniors while combining activities for underclassmen.

High Tech took advantage of STEM Day's themes to show off its cutting edge technology used for education as in the wood technology program and robotic program. “I really liked the wood technology program,” said Laila Downing, a sixth-grade student from HCST’s Explore 2000 program. “I never thought you could make so many things out of wood, like iPhone cases and skateboards. This really makes me want to come to High Tech and learn more about woodworking.”

Explore 2000 Middle School sent first year students Jaheem Ellison, Laila Downing, Jeremy Madray, and Jianna Rodriguez and second year students Sydney Perelson and Cole Goodman to experience the day.

Central to the day's activities is the open fair which gave students a chance to demonstrate and explain special projects they worked on. High Tech students and science majors, Edwin Argudo and Kunj Patel presented as their project a robot controlled with game controllers connected by coding they made with Android phones.

Also featured were lectures by professionals such as Tiffany Onorato, Stevens Institute of Technology; Jazlyn Carvajal, Director of Finance for Latinas in STEM Foundation; and John Cays; New Jersey Institute of Technology College of Architecture & Design.

Here, Explore 2000 Middle School student, Sydney Perelson tells of her experience.

     "I went to the STEM Day at High Tech along with some of the other kids from PLTW Robotics and Design and Modeling. We got to see different projects involving STEM. I looked at video games that people designed. I also checked out a robot made with a VEX Kit that was used to move balls arounds on a mat. I looked at projects made by a CNC Machine and a 3D Printer. There were also many other things that I didn’t go to."

"My favorite part was this one table that had video games and projects with a 3D printer. In the games you would move pieces around with your hands. I also favored one of the projects, it was a puzzle you could try to solve. The other tables were cool but I favored that one table. The STEM Day was a fun learning experience and I had a great time."