ANSBACH, Germany (Feb. 24, 2015) -- More than 100 students from Department of Defense Dependents Schools across Europe joined together in Wiesbaden, Germany, recently to participate in the fourth annual STEMposium, a symposium devoted to science, technology, engineering and math.
The theme for the Department of Defense Education Activity's STEMposium was "Confront Disaster … Engage Your Mind … Save The World."
Each year, a crisis is selected -- such as widespread forest fires -- which the students tackle along with their teams. The scenario for this year's STEMposium was an Ebola outbreak in Europe. The students' mission was to turn one of 12 abandoned U.S. military installations into an Ebola treatment center. To take on this catastrophe, the students took on the jobs of engineers and participated in interactive seminars.
Three students from Ansbach Middle High School participated in the event this year. Christian Pascual played the part of a robotics engineer on Team Pi. Glenn Mayo took up the job of a computer simulations engineer for Team Iota. The third of the trio of students coming from Ansbach HS was Samuel Rodriguez, who participated in Team Kappa as a civil engineer.
It wasn't just all lectures and discourse. Samuel had the opportunity to have typical on-the-job training while mixing concrete and building wooden towers. The teams also participated in daily exercises, such as games, which built teamwork.
According to the STEMposium's website, students selected to attend "develop their skills as contributing members of a highly effective team working toward a common goal in this 21st Century adventure."
"You have to get to know a group to really work with them," said Mayo of the teams' work.
As a result of his experiences at the STEMposium, Rodriguez said that everything around him involved civil engineering. From the buildings he and fellow community members live in to the pathways he and others walk on, engineers were behind it all.
With the mentorship of field experts the teams learned and practiced the engineering design process, according to the website.
To learn more about Ansbach Middle High School, visit "USAG Ansbach School Liaison Officer" in the "Related Links" section.
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