Future architects, aerospace engineers and robotics technicians are walking the halls of Northeast Tech’s Claremore Campus for the first time now that the Pre-Engineering program has claimed the campus as its new home.
“Moving to the campus has brought a lot of positive change,” said Keeli Coyle, program instructor. “Using the campus scheduling, we are able to get out of the classroom easier and spend extended time working on projects. And probably most importantly, the campus atmosphere is so positive to be a part of.”
Pre-Engineering was originally housed at Claremore High School, where NT took over the program in 2013. However, recent changes presented an opportunity to reevaluate its location, according to NT Superintendent Derek Beller.
“CHS has been a great program partner with NT for over a decade. But we recently had one of our two instructors retire, and with the shift at CHS from block scheduling, we felt the time was right for us to try to better serve all students from CHS and our other surrounding high schools. We are very happy with the wider interest that it has gained by the program joining the Claremore Campus,” Beller said.
Coyle is in agreement.
“Last year, we had four students in the program who weren’t from Claremore. This year, we have 15,” she said. “It has always been open to all partner schools, but I do think some students come to NT to be at NT. I am very excited to be able to offer the opportunity to all schools to attend and be on campus.”
Pre-Engineering is currently a two-year program that uses Project Lead the Way curriculum, though plans are in place to transition it into a one-year program in the near future.
“The plan for the one-year program is to go through Intro to Engineering and Design and Principles of Engineering first semester, and then in the second semester we will do a few aerospace units and work through a capstone,” Coyle said. “Our new structure will be beneficial for any student that is interested in design, technology, engineering and problem-solving in general.”
Coyle also has plans for her students to keep competing, including in CareerTech’s SkillsUSA, which is judged by industry professionals and challenges students through competitions on the local, regional, state and national levels.
“I still want to compete in SkillsUSA and have students go through that process of preparing,” she said. “We have participated heavily in the leadership and competitive sides of SkillsUSA, but I also know that the atmosphere is great for students. From the time they walk in the door to when they walk out, every staff member works very hard for them to have a meaningful, positive experience.”
Moving to campus has also expanded opportunities for Coyle’s students to explore career options.
“My number one goal for my students is to gain enough experience in a variety of engineering fields through coursework, speakers, tours, projects and research that they leave feeling they have a direction for what their next steps are. A lot of our students do go to college and use the engineering foundation to become engineers or something related, but we also have students that do other things.”
Coyle said she currently has 13 seniors in her program interested in a variety of engineering and non-engineering fields, including aviation, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, robotics and mechatronics, law, theater and the military.
“The diversity is wild, but I really do think going through the program helps rule out and identify what they like and what they’re good at,” she said. “If you are curious about how things work and enjoy learning new things, our program is a great place to figure out what you’re passionate about and what your next steps should be as you graduate.”