Reprinted from the Warren Record: Luci Weldon
The Warren County Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy has opened its familiar site at Warren County High School with a renewed focus on providing local public school students with practical applications related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.
The local SEMAA program was established by NASA in 2000 to include a classroom component and Aerospace Education Laboratory. The federal government continued to fund the Warren County program and others across the country for several years. However, federal funding for SEMAA programs decreased in more recent years, placing more of a financial burden on local governments to operate the $130,866 program, before federal funding was eliminated.
With a $60,000 allocation from the Warren County fiscal year 2014-15 budget, Warren County Schools took over management of the local SEMAA program this past summer, and spent several months determining how it should operate.
This semester, the program reopened with Jerome Williams serving as project manager and Stanley Harrell as AEL coordinator.
Williams holds a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Norfolk State University, has concluded graduate level study through Old Dominion University in an applied physics program with NASA, has a Master of Arts degree in urban education: leadership preparation from Norfolk State University and done additional graduate study in education administration and curriculum supervision at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa.
His career has included work as a physics lab instructor at Old Dominion University, a NASA research graduate fellow, teacher at high school level, assistant principal and principal in Virginia and associate professor at the community college level. Before becoming the Warren County SEMAA director, Williams was a physics instructor working jointly at the public school and community college levels in Virginia.
Harrell received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from North Carolina Central University, a master’s degree, also in history, from The Ohio State University, and an associate’s degree in computers from Martin Community College.
For Williams, the SEMAA program represents an ideal way for students to learn practical applications for concepts they learn in the classroom, increase their excitement about learning and consider their career options.
He said that the program always has focused on the STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — skills now emphasized in both educational and work environments. Williams envisions SEMAA as preparing students for higher education as well as careers.
Currently, he and Harrell are working with teachers in Warren County public schools to determine how the SEMAA program and its lab can be utilized to supplement classroom learning. Williams said that, through SEMAA, students use critical thinking and problem solving skills in ways that help them remember the principles, functions, concepts and theories discussed in class.
Today’s SEMAA activities take their focus from NASA’s goal for a manned mission to Mars. Lab stations such as the wind tunnel are now used to test not only model aircraft wings, but also rockets.
Earlier this week, SEMAA began a rocket club with members of the school’s Air Force JROTC and other interested high school students to allow them to build rockets. Ultimately, Williams hopes that similar programs can be offered at the elementary and middle school levels.
SEMAA also is guiding local middle school students as they meet after school each week to learn to build and program robots. Harrell noted that the new program is similar to robotics building challenges offered by SEMAA in years past, adding that teams representing Warren County won a number of competitions.
The new robotics program is made possible through a partnership with the company, Must-Innov8, Inc. in preparing middle school students for robot competitions as part of the FIRST LEGO League. Warren County and Bertie County students will compete against each other later this school year.
As the local SEMAA program prepares for the future, Williams and Harrell would like to hold a program for students of all ages this summer, and are developing specific plans at this time.
Williams eventually would like to see the SEMAA program offer additional student projects such as converting an old car to solar power as well as working with navigational drones to further study robotics and nanotechnology.
For the new project manager, SEMAA represents a fun way for students to learn while they prepare for possible careers.
“It helps kids see the purpose of that they learned,” Williams said.