Summer Program Kicks Students' Minds Into Gear
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
NY1 and parent company Time Warner Cable continue their partnership with Connect A Million Minds, highlighting education through science, technology, engineering and math. NY1’s Shazia Khan filed the following report on one college program designed to give young teens a stronger foundation in these fields.Piece by piece, 16-year-old Bryan Vasquez helps to construct a Lego-based robot for his team. He says working on this project brings him one step closer to his goal of becoming a mechatronics engineer.
"Mechatronic consists of electricity, building computers. So this kind of gives me an idea so what I want to do in the future. It kind of helps me now instead of wasting my summer I'm trying to catch up with my career," says Vasquez.
Vasquez and other young teens have been flying high this summer at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in Flushing, Queens where they use their free time to get a competitive edge in their academics and careers.
"We have a six-week summer program for the high school students and the middle school students and basically the goal of the program is to enhance their knowledge of the different careers that are in science and technology and the health related fields," says Saralda Ortiz of Vaughn College.
Robotics, earth science and physics are part of the curriculum -- all subjects 16-year-old Oluwaseun Onabanjo enjoys.
"I like real life practical things and it's hands-on and making life easier -- physics, robotics analyzing things. They make life easier using so many devices out there cell phones , airplanes," says Onabanjo.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Terry Beesoon says working with his hands has been critical in flexing his brain.
"Instead of reading a textbook where it says 'Step 1...,' it's more easier to get hands on experience getting down to building the robots and see how it moves and the gear and stuff its really amazing," says Beesoon.
For more information on Vaughn College's summer programs for teens, email saralda.ortiz@vaughn.edu or call (718) 429-6600 Ext. 161.
For more information on other activities designed to inspire children in the pursuit of science, technology, engineering and math, visit http://www.connectamillionminds.com.