By Danielle Muth ’19 and Alexis VanVorst ’19
Columbia High School has a fantastic STEM program that every student should take advantage of. We started as freshmen in the Design and Drawing for production (DDP) class with Mr. Ford. As sophomores, we attend the Modern Mechanisms class, also with Mr. Ford. Both of these classes helped us to become familiar with modern day technology like the 3-D printer, new computer software, and many more.
In DDP we used these technologies and our creative abilities to draw a product and watch it come to life. Our personal favorite was creating our own car with the 3-D printer. In Modern Mechanisms we use simple machines to create more complex mechanisms. We recently finished building hydraulic arms.
The STEM program helps to develop teamwork and problem solving skills. Mr. Ford will present us a task based on a topic we are learning about and we must use our skills to complete the project. The STEM classes are fun and provide a time in the day to use creative thinking and get a break from everyday school work.
As girls, these classes provide an education in a field that is dominated by males. The STEM-based fields are looking for women to take jobs, so it is a perfect opportunity provided by the school. Some jobs that spark our interests are biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering and medical science. Overall, the STEM program is a great opportunity to become familiar with the technologies our generation will be using in the future.