- Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy
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Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy Location Goleta, California Information Founded 2002 School district Santa Barbara School District Director Amir Abo-Shaeer Color(s) Black, white, and gold Website www.dpengineering.org The Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy is a four-year program at Dos Pueblos High School that provides generally exceptional students with experimental science education. The coursework is designed to provide the academic foundation necessary to support the students' participation as Team 1717 in the FIRST Robotics Competition during their senior year in high school. They broke ground on the Elings Center for Engineering Education in 2010.[1]
Contents
History
Dos Pueblos High School (DPHS), in collaboration with University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Santa Barbara City College (SBCC), and local industry partners determined that the community would benefit from the presence of an engineering program designed for students at the secondary level.
The staff at DPHS decided that the most effective way to implement this program would be with the support of a Specialized Secondary Program Grant offered through the California Department of Education (CDE). DPHS applied for and received a four-year grant from the CDE, consisting of one planning year and three implementation years.
The DPEA offered its initial course during the 2002-2003 academic school year, which was the introduction of Engineering 1 and Computer Science 1. Additional courses with engineering emphases were implemented throughout the life of the grant, and the program in its current form was fully implemented during the 2005-2006 school year when the capstone senior-level Regional Occupation Program (ROP) Robotics course was implemented, supported by the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO).
The Robotics course prepares the students to participate in the international FIRST Robotics Competition every year. The DPEA is known in the FIRST community as TEAM 1717: the D’Penguineers.[2]
Courses
Courses currently offered in the DPEA include Engineering Physics 1 & 2, Engineering 1, Computer Science 1, AP Physics, AP Computer Science, Advanced Engineering Physics, and FIRST Robotics ROP.[3]
These courses accumulate to support the end goal of successful student participation in the FIRST Robotics Competition. However, these courses do not focus solely on robotics. They have been crafted in such a way as to provide students with a varied and broad experience in the sciences. As members of Robotics, students gain experience in the scientific and engineering fields but also in the corporate and industrial worlds. During pre-build season, students organize almost every aspect of interfacing with the public, in the forms of fundraising, ordering materials, and keeping parents informed about the program. During build season (early spring), students design the robot from its rudimentary level by drawing up parts on a CAD program, constructing their own electrical board, physically building and assembling the robot, and finally, programming it to achieve all the functions required by the prompt of the competition.[4]
The primary goal of the Advanced Engineering Physics and Robotics courses is participation in the FIRST Robotics Competition. However, these courses also place a strong emphasis on teamwork, critical thinking, advanced drafting and CAD skills, machining, prototyping, and execution. By participating in the Engineering Academy and finally the Robotics course, students develop skills that can be used in nearly any real-world situation.[5]
Team 1717
Main article: D'PenguineersFIRST Team 1717 is the FIRST robotics team of the academy.
Academy framework and philosophy
The Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy instills in students not only an appreciation for science and engineering, but also a passion for learning that extends into all areas of knowledge. The curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge they gain to tangible, project-based engineering problems.
The entire academy is framed around robotics. The reasons for choosing robotics as the focal point are many. First, high school robotics programs have consistently demonstrated their ability to heighten student interest in science and engineering and maintain the students’ enthusiasm throughout their participation in the program. Moreover, there is a wealth of resources available to help schools implement successful robotics programs. Finally, designing and building a robot requires students to understand a wide array of science and engineering topics, including but not limited to physics, computer science, and biology.[citation needed]
Faculty
Amir Abo-Shaeer is the Director of the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy as well as one of the instructors. He has been teaching science and engineering at Dos Pueblos High School for the past four years. He currently teaches Engineering Physics, AP physics, and Advanced Engineering Physics/Robotics. Before becoming a teacher, Mr. Shaeer was a mechanical engineer working on research and development in academia, the aerospace industry, and the telecommunications industry. He attended UCSB where he earned a B.S. in Physics, a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and a M.Ed. in Secondary Education.[6] Mr. Shaeer was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2010 for his role in encouraging and supporting high school students to pursue careers in science and engineering.[7]
Kevin McKee teaches Engineering 1/Computer Science and AP Computer Science as part of the Engineering Academy. Prior to teaching, Mr. McKee worked for over 20 years in the computer technology field. He was an IT manager for a local engineering operation of a Fortune 500 corporation, and as a software engineer, he has developed systems in the areas of undersea defense technology, commercial software, and medical device manufacturing. He earned a B.S. in Engineering Technology at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and his California Teaching Credential in Physics and Geosciences from Chapman University.[8]
Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy Foundation
In 2007, DPEA Director Amir Abo-Shaeer was awarded a $3 million California state matching grant to create a 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m2) engineering facility on the high school campus to support the implementation of the Career Technical Education (CTE) curriculum he created.[9]
The Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy Foundation (DPEAF) was established in 2008 by Amir Abo-Shaeer and parent and community volunteers for the purpose of raising $3 million in matching funds to secure the state grant.[10]
Construction of the facility is currently underway and is scheduled for completion in July, 2011. The DPEAF is still raising funds to purchase industry-standard machinery and equipment for the building through their Gearing Up! campaign.[11]
See also
- Dos Pueblos High School
- Amir Abo-Shaeer
- Team 1717
References
- ^ http://www.noozhawk.com/schools/article/071010_dos_pueblos_engineering_academy
- ^ http://www.dpengineering.org/DPEA%20Home/1Academy%20History.php
- ^ http://www.dpengineering.org/academics/0Four%20Year%20Plans.php
- ^ http://www.dpengineering.org/1717%20Home/2About%20Us.php
- ^ http://www.dpengineering.org/1717%20Home/3Education.php
- ^ http://www.dpengineering.org/Teachers/1Mr.%20Abo-Shaeer/1Biography.php
- ^ http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.6196377/k.8704/Amir_AboShaeer.htm
- ^ http://www.dpengineering.org/Teachers/2Mr.%20McKee/1Biography.php
- ^ http://sbdailysound.blogspot.com/2007/11/dos-pueblos-gets-grant-for-new.html
- ^ http://www.dpeaf.org/index.php
- ^ http://www.dpeaf.org/gearingup.php
External links
Categories:- FIRST Robotics Competition teams
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