New program teaches kids how to become the next generation of engineers

The new STEAM program, which stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math, offers public school students the unique opportunity to work with futuristic three-dimensional printers and learn about engineering principles in their own classrooms.

That’s right, the future is here! Thanks to funding from Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and State Senator Marty Golden, Brooklyn schools are being equipped with state-of-the-art engineering labs featuring 3D computers and printers, laser engravers, computer numeric control (CNC) machines, robotics and more.

In November, Adams allocated $55 million in funding for capital equipment to advance STEAM education across more than 150 schools in the borough ranging from pre-kindergarten to higher education, including public, charter and private institutions.

Golden contributed funding allocated for professional development. “I want the teachers to receive world-class training and manifest world-class results,” said Golden.

The original pilot schools are Rachel Carson High School in Coney Island, William Grady High School in Brighton Beach, David A. Boody Middle School in Gravesend, Joseph Cavallaro Middle School in Gravesend and Michael Berdy Elementary School in Coney Island.

However, due to overwhelming interest, more than 30 schools will join One Brooklyn Engineering Pipeline (OBEP) this coming year.

OBEP founder Michael Victor Danza of Kingsborough Community College told this paper that the pilot engineering labs are presently being installed and should be fully operational by September, 2018.

Another 30 engineering labs will be designed, delivered, installed, configured and tested during the summer and fall, so they can be fully operational by January, 2019.

“The pipeline curriculum includes all categories of engineering: mechanical, electrical, civil, aeronautical, nautical and structural, so the students can decide which engineering discipline they would like to master,” Danza said.

“As a result, the students will be fully-qualified to enter Kingsborough’s pre-engineering program or CUNY’s engineering programs at the senior colleges,” he added. “The Pipeline will prepare them to enter the corporate and governmental engineering fields to become the next generation of American Engineers.”

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