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Marketing Action Client Wins Economic Development Award

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Marketing Action, Inc. is honored to work with Carol Pepper-Kittredge, Director, Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT), Sierra College, who recently won a Placer County Economic Development Award for “Best Support for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Deployment.”

The CACT program is funded through the California Community College Chancellor’s Office Workforce and Economic Development program.  Organizations, manufacturers and technology companies throughout Northern California have benefited from customized training and preparation of their future workforce provided by Sierra College CACT since 1992.

Veronica Blake, CEO, Placer Community Foundation, and Vice Chair of the Economic Development Board for Placer County presented the award to Pepper-Kittredge, mentioning that 480 employees from local companies received training last year. “We know that successful societies are those that attract and nurture the most creative workers and entrepreneurs,” said Blake.  “Sierra College CACT is a dynamic partner and contributor to this effort, building a quality workforce with technical skills, problem-solving abilities and cost effective customer focused solutions.”

Blake also explained the role Sierra College CACT has played in encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship through the unique partnership with Hacker Lab as well as by working with high school Career Technical Education programs supported by the Sierra STEM Collaborative.  “Additionally, through the Sierra STEM Collaborative, more than 15,000 students at eight local high schools completed manufacturing and product development courses,” said Blake.

Learn more about the award presentation —  Sierra College CACT Wins Placer County Economic Development Award

STEM: Welding Adds Applied Math Lessons at Sierra College

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Sierra College Math and Welding departments worked together on a National Science Foundation (NSF) IGNITE grant with the University of West Virginia at Parkersburg (UWVP) to infuse math into welding curriculum.

Sierra College Welding Department chair, Bill Wenzel worked with Katie Lucero, chair of the Sierra College Math Department, to develop the new applied academic curriculum. The math lessons tied directly to a student project and significantly improved students’ math skills. Carol Pepper-Kittredge, director, Sierra College Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT) facilitated the collaboration of faculty with the University of West Virginia on this NSF grant project.

See the movie showing these technical education students integrating math into welding at Placer Herald Sierra College addresses skills gap by fusing math with welding (11-29-2012).

Learn more about Sierra College STEM projects.

College Collaboration builds STEM Pipeline

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The Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT) at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA, through a grant from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, has effectively partnered with businesses and schools to open up opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers for local students. Marketing Action has had the opportunity to interview teachers, administrators, students and business and hear the results first hand.

  • The courses a student takes in high school and the opportunity to intern at a local business makes a difference in discovering interests and developing an education and career plan.
  • Students who gain skills that are in demand with industry and are exposed to mentors who can demonstrate the education and experience needed to pursue a career are more likely to select that career path.
  • Collaboration between schools, colleges and businesses helps students navigate through the sea of choices to find a port to which they can tie their career aspirations.

On June 14, 2012, The American Association of Community College Times published A collaborative effort forges a path for an aspiring architect. The article describes how a student benefited from Rocklin High School’s Engineering Support Technology (supported by the Sierra College CTE Community Collaborative STEM project — sierraschoolworks), the Placer County Office of Education 49er ROP architecture, construction and engineering program at Granite Bay High School, and Williams + Paddon, an architecture firm based in Roseville.

It is a pleasure to work with people committed to making a difference.

Brain & brute strength fly planes

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Always on the lookout for hands-on projects that inspire innovation in design and engineering, I was intrigued by “Paper Plane Champ Watches His Record Fly, Fly Away” in the Wall Street Journal, May 18, 2012, pg. 1

According to the article, paper airplane designer John Collins collaborated with former Cal football player to win the Guinness World Record at an event in Sacramento CA. The folded paper airplane flew 226 feet 10 inches. Watch it on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wedcZp07raE (Thanks to ThePaperAirplaneGuy).

This is a great example of how collaboration in California is sparking innovation. Marketing Action works with schools and colleges to promote Science, Technology, Engineering & Math careers by inspiring students with applied academics.

Sierra School Works makes math matter

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Watch the movie: STEM Tech-Explorer Catapult – Sierra School Works Applied Math entered in the STEMposium contest.

Middle and high school students are being introduced to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers by making catapults. In addition, Sierra School Works (www.sierraschoolworks.com) with Sierra College in Rocklin, CA won a National Science Foundation grant to develop and test the impact of integrating mathematics curriculum into the hands-on catapult building experience.

Students converted fractions and decimals from English and metric measurements on drawings. They used scales, protractors and compasses to measure and mark catapult parts. Once the catapults were built using mills, lathes and other power tools, the students measured the distance, height and speed of launches and inserted the results into the parabolic equation to determine the best launch angle. Learning by doing, they discovered why math matters.

Making math matter to students is critical to their success in pursing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers. They need a reason to keep taking math classes. Sierra School Works developed this Tech-Explorer catapult project to engage students and give them experiences applying math.

  • Accurately converting fractions results in parts that will fit together to make a catapult.
  • Applying the parabolic equation to select the best launch angle will allow their balls to fly the farthest.

It is harder than it looks to develop math lessons, insert them into hands-on projects and use the lessons to reinforce the math skills and interests of students of various ages and expertise. Oakmont High School students in Roseville, CA were the first to test the Sierra School Works math-enhanced Tech-Explorer catapult project developed with Sierra College and National Science Foundation support. It successfully modeled how to engage students in applying math. Learn more at (www.sierraschoolworks.com ).

Filming Sierra STEM Tech-Explorer story

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Robert Ansell of Royce Video Production of Sacramento is working with Marketing Action in Loomis to record implementation of Sierra College National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for the Tech-Explorer project.

With the goal of preparing and encouraging students to consider Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and careers, Sierra College is building on the success of the Tech-Explorer catapult production project. Math lessons are being integrated into the hands-on building project to test the effectiveness of applied academics – using math while making the parts and building the catapult — in increasing math skills and retention.

This is just one of many Sierra STEM projects to prepare our future workforce in the Sacramento region for highly paid, in-demand technical local jobs.

Sierra College STEM Grant attracts middle school students to Tech Careers
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The Sierra College Tech-Explorer catapult project that introduces students to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math was reported in a brief in the 10-24-08 Sacramento Business Journal page 29 under Business Notes.

The press release » 10/13/08 Sierra College offers relevant technical education to Roseville middle school explains the project and lists several sources for career information.

From the release: According to Sandra Scott, Director of Workforce Development and Continuing Education at Sierra College, “Our vision is to engage all students in applied learning and interest them in pursuing the classes now, in high school and later at Sierra College that can lead them to rewarding technical careers.” She explained that if middle school students can grasp abstract concepts by applying them to a project that is relevant to them, they may be more motivated to take math, science, computer, design, robotics and other technical courses. “Developing their interest now, in middle school, can give them an edge in determining their future,” said Scott.