The classes are open to high school seniors only. Students will register for both courses on either the Norfolk or South Sioux City campuses.
“Introduction to Engineering Design will allow students to gain knowledge about engineering career opportunities, engineering problem solving, and engineering design, while the Maker Space Fabrication Lab will combine learning with practical, interactive, and hands-on activities,” said Corinne, Morris, dean of agriculture, math and science. “Students will learn in fun and interactive Maker Space Labs.”
Students enrolled in the classes will construct a storage container prototype and a prototype circuit on perfboard; design and construct a 24-volt relay rail circuit; design and detail a prototype for 3D printing; and manufacture their prototypes on a 3D printer.
Morris said, “In addition to the 3D printer, the students will be able use all new equipment on these prototypes including computer aided design Fusion 360 and VCarve detailing software, a ShopBot, which is a computer numerical control desktop machine, as well as many other power and hand tools.”
The work will take place in maker spaces that were outfitted by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.*
Now in its third year, the Fridays @ Northeast program, which allows high school seniors to spend the last day of their school week on campus as college students, introduces students to a variety of career and technical education classes that lead directly into programs of study upon completion of their high school education.
This year, over 80 students from 17 schools are enrolled in 29 courses that take place each Friday on Northeast campuses in Norfolk, O’Neill, and South Sioux City.
Lyle Kathol, vice president of educational services at Northeast, said the final semester in high school is “prime time” for seniors to get a head start on college.
“Northeast’s Early College through our Fridays @ Northeast program is a great opportunity for these students to spend Fridays at Northeast and be enrolled as college students. Seniors experience college classes in labs with the newest technologies and learn from instructors who are industry experts, as well as instructors.”
There is free tuition available for a limited number of students who enroll in the courses.
“Full tuition scholarships will be awarded to the first eight students who enroll in these specific Fridays @ Northeast courses,” said Makala Williams, director of early college at Northeast. “Additional students will pay the reduced tuition rate of only $49 per credit hour for three credit hours. Enrolling in Fridays @ Northeast saves students’ money while they earn both high school and college credit.”
To learn more, contact Williams at (402) 844-7118 or makalaw@northeast.edu.
* This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1723704. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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PHOTO CUTLINE
Dave Heidt, Northeast Community College chemistry/physics instructor, displays a sign created with a desktop computer numerical control (CNC) machine in the maker space on Northeast’s Norfolk campus. The space, as well as an additional area on Northeast’s South Sioux City extended campus, are available to students participating in the Fridays @ Northeast pre-engineering program. A new session begins January 11, 2019.