Career Tech Engineering Academy News

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News for students, families and friends | Winter 2024

Engineering Academy Puts the E in STEM

It's recruiting season at Engineering Academy, so please spread the word to high school sophomores and juniors who want to get the engineering edge. Students interested in learning more about Engineering Academy are invited to attend any of the information sessions below. Register today!

Thursday, Feb. 15
Tuesday, Feb. 27
Thursday, March 14

Info sessions are 6-7:30 p.m. at Career Tech Engineering Academy

Room 159A | 880 Parsons Road

Traverse City, MI 49686

Info Session Flyer

10th Grade Visit Days Jan. 31 and Feb. 1

Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 are Career Tech Visit Days for 10th graders. If you haven't already, sign up for a visit with your school counselor. You can meet the Engineering Academy team and tour our classrooms and engineering labs. It's a great way to explore the program and learn how to apply.

Mentorship

Photo top: Mentor Hannah Goss of Thompson Surgical Instruments with Isabelle Borden

Photo bottom: Mentor Mike Groleau of RJG, Inc. with Keller Torrey

Mentorship Prepares

Well-Rounded Students

Engineering Academy includes one-on-one guidance by industry professionals. Each student is assigned a mentor during the two-year program with a focus on work ethic, communication, robotics and project management.

The mentor team is especially helpful because several of them are Engineering Academy alumni. They are professionals who generously spend time coaching Engineering Academy students to prepare them for college, technical training and careers. Companies who support the mentor program include Kennametal, RJG Inc., Thompson Surgical Instruments and many more.

Karl Haworth

American Airlines

One alumni mentor is Karl Haworth who graduated from Engineering Academy and Traverse City Central High School in 2014. He continued his education at Albion College to earn a B.A. degree studying economics, management and statistics. He then landed a coveted job at American Airlines, and after more than 10 years with the aviation giant, Karl's job has morphed into a remarkable career.

His work with the company began in information technology where he flourished and gained valuable experience and industry expertise working in infrastructure engineering, software development and product architecture. He was recently promoted to Principal Staff Architect.

Karl mentors Engineering Academy students because he feels strongly that the program provides a key advantage to young people.

"Blending subjects like economics, English, math and sciences into experiences outside the classroom creates well-rounded students who are well-prepared to problem solve holistically rather than focusing on one aspect at a time," he explained. "This real-world exposure makes Engineering Academy students think and work creatively."

Photo: Karl speaking at a conference on internal developer portals

Robotics

Competition Heating Up for Robotics Teams

Engineering Academy seniors are kicking off robotics season in preparation for the National Robotics Challenge (NRC) in Marion, Ohio in April. The 100% student-built robot competition is a highlight as they go head-to-head with other talented students from around the world. In preparation for the event, students present their robot design plans to peers and industry professionals for feedback and adjustments. Here's a round-up of this year's teams:

Rescue Robot

Engineering Academy's rescue robot team is The Fidgets. In the NRC competition, the rescue robot arena is like a house that has collapsed and a robot must "save" objects from the arena. The match lasts three minutes and the team with the most saved objects wins. The Fidgets' goal is to win the Honda Innovation Award with their OnShape CAD and tri-wheel design.

Photo left: Preston using data sheets to wire the motors into the controller

Robo Hockey

The Robo Rockets team is preparing for the NRC robo hockey competition with construction of two robots designed to score goals using a shooting mechanism while competing against two other robots. The team consists of Maddy Stewart, Joseph Reynolds and Aaron Brown.

Photo right: Robo Rockets' puck shooter design

Sumo Robot

The Gears of Glory sumo robot team of Evan Chandler, Emmett Jaquish and Logan Defour created a well-designed sumo bot. Its objective is to push the opposing robot out of a ring using sensor data to determine its path. It must be under 20 lbs. and will likely be the most advanced sumo bot in Engineering Academy history with electronic countermeasures and a two-speed transmission.

Photo left: Emmett Jaquish fine tuning sumo robot design

Dual Competitor

The fourth robotics team is designing a robot to compete in the autonomous vehicle and sumo competitions. The autonomous vehicle challenge requires the robot to complete a course with obstacles such as turns, arches and ramps. The robot is designed to be easily modified with a detachable wedge and special wheel hubs to allow varying wheel sizes. The robot's code will be the Pure Pursuit algorithm that calculates points to determine the most efficient path.

Work Experiences

Continuous Improvement How-To

Engineering Academy juniors are participating in training at local companies - Britten BoxPop, Bay Motor Products, eFulfillment Service and SMI Aerospace - where they focus on problem solving using the Plan-Do-Study-Act method for continuous improvement. With the guidance of these company professionals, students learn techniques for asking the right questions to identify problems, compiling data, and presenting solutions in formal technical reports. This training prepares students for the responsibilities they will encounter in college and careers.

Relationships

Healthy Balance

Engineering Academy students work hard together and form good friendships and a fun atmosphere.

The Grand Traverse Area Manufacturing Council's golf outing was a fun opportunity for kids to get out of the classroom to volunteer at the event that provides generous support to the Engineering Academy's robotics program.

Apply Now!

Get an Edge with Engineering Academy

Career Tech Engineering Academy is a trailblazer for high school STEM education. Students attend our award-winning two-year program for its high level academics and hands-on engineering experiences. They are rewarded with a rigorous education, motivated student culture and stellar opportunities in college and career.

Learn More and Apply!

Northwest Education Services

Career Tech Engineering Academy

880 Parsons Road, Traverse City, MI 49686

Tel. 231.922.6273 | NorthwestEd.org