Youth Learned About Tech Careers at ORION STEM Event
“Pi Day” Introduced High School Students to the Raspberry Pi
Quanterion Solutions Incorporated led instruction for a one-day Internet of Things (IoT) class, “Pi Day,” on March 15. “Pi Day” revolved around a single board computer, the Raspberry Pi, to lay a foundation for the development of high-tech skills increasingly demanded in the workforce.
Local high school students learned hands-on about Internet of Things (IoT) technology as they assembled and customized their own RaspberryPi project. Following a morning of interactive instruction, the students collaborated in small teams to build a custom IoT device, prototyping a “smart” lamp using a Raspberry Pi.
Teens gained experience working with hardware, firmware, software, and cloud technologies as they learned how to remotely control their light bulb for functionality. Instructors and mentors worked closely with teams as they prepared for the concluding competition to show off their custom tech project to parents and other attendees.
Above: Mike Corley provides instructions for the Raspberry Pi custom project.
Michael Corley, Senior Software Architect, developed the event’s curriculum and led the main instruction with support from other technical experts at Quanterion Solutions. The curriculum was designed to help youths connect the dots between the enabling technologies and exciting careers in STEM.
“Hands-on STEM activities such as Pi Day empower students by exposing them to emerging technology they can apply to a wide range of careers,” said Corley. “As instructors and mentors, it was very rewarding to experience modern technology through the students’ eyes and see our curriculum spark interest in STEM careers.”
Above: Cully Patch uses a smartphone to demonstrate an Internet of Things (IoT) concept.
Cully Patch, Senior Program Manager at Quanterion Solutions, led the event coordination and acted as the course’s lead mentor.
“These students are the future of our workforce – a workforce that is rapidly changing to meet growing technology demands,” said Patch. “Quanterion Solutions is proud to be a part of shaping tomorrow’s generation of engineers, scientists, and solution developers, keeping the nation at the forefront of technological innovation by inspiring our youth to pursue careers in STEM.”
Thank You to Pi Day Sponsors and Partners
“Pi Day” was sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) through ORION, the Open-Architecture, Resilient Internet of Things for Operational Networks, which is a state-of-the-art ecosystem operated by subject matter experts to facilitate the development, test, and evaluation of IoT solutions. ORION is a collaborative effort between the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Information Directorate, Assured Information Security (AIS), Quanterion Solutions, the Griffiss Institute, and the New York State Technology Enterprise Corporation (NYSTEC). Special thank you to IgniteU interns for supporting the mentoring of the team projects.
Pi Day Photos
Register Today for the Next STEM Class, “Off in the Clouds”
Off in the Clouds (Saturday, April 12): Teams of high school students will actively research, learn, communicate and convince mock companies (instructors) why their company should utilize cloud services. A rubric will guide the scoring to determine the winning team to take home the glory. Parents are invited to watch the competition!
This event will be hosted at the Innovare Advancement Center in Rome, NY.
Learn more about Off in the Clouds and register for FREE. Hurry, the registration deadline is March 28!
This material is based on work supported by the United States Air Force, Contract No. FA8750-19-C-0013. 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 United States Air Force.