Whereabouts: Jacksonville, Florida
Take it away, STEM Coach, Russell Henderlite.
Why do you as a teacher want to volunteer your time to coach your team?
I like seeing what the students can do when given a challenge that expands their knowledge into areas that they do not normally get involved with. This gives me the opportunity to show them avenues to pursue that they may have thought they were not able to participate in.
List any Curricular or Extra Curricular Clubs that you lead or have lead in the past:
Brain Brawl, Rocketry Club, BotBall Robotics Team, FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Team, US Army Corps of Engineers Engineering Week Challenge Team, NASA Biotechnology Outreach Program Group
List any past hydrogen, renewable energy,engineering activities or competitions that you have facilitated:
As a FIRST Tech Challenge coach I have hosted a field day at my school. As a sponsor I have coached competition teams for BotBall, Team America Rocketry Challenge, Us Army Corps of Engineers Engineering Week Challenge, and FIRST Tech Challenge.
How will participating in this competition benefit your students’ familiarity with renewable energy & their opinions on further education and careers opportunities in STEM related fields?
For many it will probably be an introduction to renewable topics, so it will greatly increase their exposure. By being involved in this competition I expect some students will be attracted to a career in a stem field that they mot have previously considered.