Engineering Enriches Pair of Divine Redeemer Students
Divine Redeemer fourth-graders Brooke Anthony and Regina Mantini learned about polymers, and built accelerometers and rockets during the “Moving 4th Into Engineering” program - a STEM initiative at Carnegie Mellon University (submitted photo)
by Jonathan Weaver
Two students from the Divine Redeemer School in Ford City attended an engineering outreach event at a regional university at the end of March.
Saturday, March 28, fourth graders Brooke Anthony and Regina Mantini attended the “Moving 4th Into Engineering” Program.
The engineering outreach event is hosted each Spring by Carnegie Mellon’s Institute for Complex Engineered Systems (ICES), and is meant to teach students how engineering plays a part in many of the ordinary things they see every day, as well as inspire them to pursue studies in math, science and engineering.
Mantini – a fourth grader from Manorville – learned about the program through her mother, Colleen, who works at Carnegie Mellon.
“I think it’s great she wanted to be (involved in the program). It was a Saturday, so some kids would rather stay home and play games and watch TV, but I’m glad that she made the extra effort,” Colleen said.
Colleen said her daughter was also influenced to attend by Science Teacher Danielle Kephart.
“They have a really good science teacher at Divine Redeemer – she does a lot with them that fostered an interest in science and experiments for her,” Colleen said.
Colleen volunteered on March 28 because both girls attended, and said Regina is already eager to launch her rocket again
Mantini’s sister – five year old Margot – is also slowly getting interested in science as well.
Anthony’s mother, Christy, said she immediately inquired about her daughter enrolling in the event after hearing about it from Colleen.
“(Brooke) is the inquisitive type girl and likes to learn how stuff works so we thought she would enjoy herself, especially being part of a team with her friend Regina. We are grateful she had this opportunity,” Christy wrote in an e-mail response.
Brooke has even expressed an interest in attending the Pittsburgh university once she graduates high school.
Fourth-grade students learned about polymers through little experiments,
built accelerometers and also built and launched rockets.
Both parents said the rockets were their daughters’ favorite activity. They even took the rockets into school the following week.
About 35 students from the region attended the event.
Local News | jweaver April 10, 2015
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