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Hazelwood District Project Lead the Way Students Spend Day at Boeing
The Boeing Company welcomed high school students from the Hazelwood School District to spend a day learning about the possibilities of careers in engineering.
During 2009 Engineers Week, Boeing hosted nearly 75 students involved in the Project Lead the Way program from Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood East and Hazelwood West high schools. PLTW promotes pre-engineering courses for middle and high school students at schools across the country. The District implemented PLTW during the 2003-2004 school year.
While at the Boeing facility, students participated in engineering related activities designed to help “understand the role that technology and engineering plays in developing and producing” Boeing products.
The day included guest speakers, hands-on engineering contests, a scavenger hunt, tours, and a C-17 flight simulation. The C-17 Globemaster III is a military transport aircraft manufactured by Boeing and operated by the United States Air Force, the British Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Canadian Forces.
Steve Beauchamp, industrial technology teacher at Hazelwood Central High, thinks the visit “definitely” got students excited about engineering. Among his students were
a few ninth graders who he said “have shown a great interest in engineering” and talked to him “even before the trip as to what classes they should take to stay in our engineering program.”
“I learned a lot of neat facts that I can use in the classroom as well as share my experiences in the classroom,” he said.
Jay Boleach, practical arts department chair at Hazelwood West High, said the visit will give the students “a goal to strive for. The students can start networking for a future six to eight years down the road with the mentoring program.”
He said that “as a whole,” the students liked the trip. “All of them liked the C-17 flight simulator.”
He also liked the simulator. “The flight simulators are pretty impressive. A lot of things are going on to make that very large, very realistic piece of equipment work.”
Mark Heitkoetter, woods and construction instructor at Hazelwood East High School, said that during a question-and-answer session many students asked about colleges and “what it takes to be an engineer.” They also asked about internship opportunities at Boeing for high school students interested in the field of engineering.
(story provided by the Hazelwood District Communications Dept.)
