Three Rivers College offered a unique opportunity for Sikeston students ranging from fifth through eighth grades and participating in summer school.
The Three Rivers College Continuing Education/Dual Credit Department and the Sikeston School District came together to help students navigate flying drones, solve a diamond heist, build and code robots, and solve a “who done it” mystery. During the morning from July 18-21, Three Rivers faculty, staff, Sikeston staff, and Sikeston community leaders worked with students on these projects.
“Community partners play a large role in providing a dynamic learning experience for our summer school students,” said Ryan Lindsey, Sikeston School District Summer School Administrator. “Three Rivers went above and beyond to provide a highly educational, fun experience for everyone involved and we look forward to continuing this partnership and growing the program in 2023.”
The week started with seventh graders building and coding a basic robot. Students had to follow through with a set of directions to create the robot, set up a task, and then write the code required for the robot to complete the task.
Before students flew their own personal drones, Three Rivers Dual Credit Coordinator Amanda Taylor taught about the physics behind the drones, including how the accelerometer and altimeter aides in a smooth landing.
“It was exciting to watch the progression of understanding in each student,” Taylor said. “There was a moment they realized that everything had to work together, the internal and the external components. I’m excited to see how we can continue to grow this program and provide unique opportunities to our local school districts.”
To solve the diamond heist, Three Rivers faculty Dr. Leslie Gragg and Dr. Melissa Davis led students in fingerprinting, chromatography, blood type analysis, and fiber analysis.
Finishing the week, Three Rivers Associate Professor of Physical Science Michael DeAngelo led fifth graders through their first lab. They put on safety goggles and handled chemicals and test tubes. They observed reactions and then documented their findings to narrow down what type of chemical was left at the fictional crime scene.
“It was wonderful to see the partnership between TRC and our public school extend into STEM at the Sikeston Jr. High this week,” said Marcie Lawson, the President/CEO of the Sikeston Regional Chamber and Area Economic Development Corp. “It was fun to see the students working together to problem solve when trying to fly the drones. I appreciate the opportunity to participate.”
