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In the news: |
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For Dobie High School engineering design students, Wednesdays hold a
slightly different dress code than usual. With hard hats in place, these
students become engineers for the day through a job shadowing program
with Jacobs Engineering employees. The engineering design course was implemented this year at Dobie, and Jacobs’ employees approached Principal Steve Jamail with the opportunity of involving some students in the construction process getting ready to take place on campus as a result of a bond election passed in November 2004. Jamail said he couldn’t refuse. “Matching Jacobs’ employees up with our engineering design students was the perfect fit,” said Jamail. “Our goal for this new course has been to make things more relevant for our students because we are always pushing rigor and relevance in our curriculum and this program has allowed us to do exactly that.” The goal of the job shadowing program is to give the students knowledge of what engineers, architects and construction managers actually do in their careers so the students can make educated decisions on the type of engineering degree they want to pursue. The program also covers the basics of building a structure such as a school including the early planning stages, design, bid and award, and the construction process. “Student exposure to the structure, planning and designing of the new Dobie wing is important,” said Dobie’s engineering design instructor Chris Ferguson. “Introducing the students to the different types of careers and jobs in construction is important so they know what’s out there. I hope the students can use this experience as an influence in their career choices.” The engineering design students go on site weekly with Jacobs’ employees and observe as welders, soil samplers, cementers and other types of workers make progress on their school’s newest addition. These weekly observations enable the students to ask the workers questions about what they do on a daily basis. “Working with Jacobs and touring their facilities has really given me an inside look at my future career as an engineer,” said senior engineering design student Meera Kulkarni. Since the start of the program, the students have participated in different projects and activities with Jacobs’ employees such as the “Crab Trap” design/build contest, drawing review, concrete additive demonstration, soil testing procedures and other team-building activities and exercises. Developing team building and interpersonal skills are also key in the job shadowing program. The students also recently took a field trip to the Jacobs Engineering office at NASA and to Bay Architects where they were able to visit with a former astronaut, college interns and architects who explained what they do in the field of engineering. Guest speakers including a geology engineer, a cementer and an accountant have also visited the class. “Working with Jacobs and all of our guest speakers has been very enlightening,” said senior engineering design student Vivian Dam. “I have been introduced to many more aspects of engineering than I had expected. It has really helped me clarify my goals of becoming an engineer.” Jamail said they plan to keep the program going and to find other ways to make the engineering design class relevant to the real world. “The opportunity with Jacobs was a great way to combine classroom curriculum with real world application for our students,” he said. “The program and the class are giving them a jump-start to an engineering career and a better understanding of what they really need to know to be successful because they are actually a part of the entire construction project. We are truly pleased with the program’s turnout and its influence on our students.” |