By Ashley McCleery

The North Jefferson News



Thanks to a recent $10,000 grant from the Engineering Academy Initiative for Alabama (EAIA), Gardendale High School students are now able to roll up their sleeves, try their hand at basic level engineering and buff up on their math and science skills.

“It all started when a group of kids wanted to start a club, a robotics club,” Gardendale High School principal Dr. Anna Vacca said. “Then, we saw the grant that was available for engineering and applied for it.”

During the summer, EAIA awarded the grant to Gardendale High School, which was one of 16 schools to receive the grant in Ala. Although Vacca hoped for the grant, she said she knew it would be a challenge to actually receive it.

“It’s exciting that we got the grant, and it creates potential to open doors for our students,” Vacca said.

At the beginning of this school year, only freshman and sophomores were given the opportunity to participate in the engineering academy because the program is designed to last throughout all four years of high school.

Science and engineering academy teacher Juanita Vann said she’s been ready to dive into this project, but the program is being implemented over the course of two years. This year the school received $6,500 from EAIA and will receive the remaining $3,500 next year.

Already, the 20 students in the engineering academy have visited the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s engineering open house as well as listened to several engineering guest speakers from UAB, Washington Group and Southern Research.

“Some kids came in and didn’t know what engineering was,” Vann said. “But after our first research project and after the guests, they were excited and amazed about what they discovered are related to engineers.”

Despite the fact that the students in the program are all males, Vacca said she expects more female students to become involved, especially since several of the academy’s engineering guest speakers have been women.

“We want the girls to hear a woman say, ‘I’m a female, and I wear a hard hat and build buildings,’” Vacca said.

While the program intrigues students about engineering, it also prepares them for the rigorous science and math classes required in college.

“It’s our hope that kids coming in will be better prepared to enter engineering in college,” Vacca said. “We’d rather them have the coursework, the coursework they need, and end up with Bs than have As without the coursework and preparation.”