Page 45 - Salesianum - Distinguished Gentleman - Summer 2020

Venida Washington, VP, JP Morgan Chase,
volunteers her time in Creighton Anderson’s classroom.
initial course offering has grown into several sections of STEM classes and remains among the most popular classes offered at Salesianum.
Anderson has also incorporated a Shark Tank-inspired competition into the STEM curriculum. In keeping with the Salesian value of serving those in need, his students are required to interview their peers and members of the greater community to identify needs they may have to improve their quality of life. Students are then charged with designing a new product that can meet those needs. This process is designed to both foster empathy and grow an entrepreneurial mindset at a young age. Students are required to do market analysis, conduct patent research, develop a business model and eventually pitch their idea to venture capitalists and regional business leaders for review.
Student projects have included, among many others:
• A more ergonomic mountain-bike pedal to help prevent repetitive motion injury
• 3D software for DIY “hands-on” tutorials to teach
consumers how to confidently do basic car repairs and reap the benefits of DIY savings
• A back-of-bike radar system to alert riders to motorists approaching from behind.
Students have applied for patents with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a result of their STEM projects, bringing a level of empowerment beyond the typical classroom experience. One student’s project involved a safer quadcopter drone that was 3D-printed and built at Salesianum. That STEM project won thousands of dollars in the Diamond Challenge, an innovative entrepreneurship competition for high school students.
Anderson’s classroom features 3D printers, virtual reality goggles, robotics components and student-designed
and constructed work stations. The work stations are interactive, featuring storage spaces for parts, dry-erase board surfaces on which students can write, and wheels so that stations can be combined for larger work areas.
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