“As Faculty Director of the LEAP Fabrication Laboratory, I aim to inject more experiential and project-based learning into the school curriculum and to continue motivate minority students into STEM fields while extending, connecting and integrating university-based research investigations. I remain excited to be involved in STEM at Leap Academy University Charter School. The confident attention to STEM by the students, parents, teachers and administration are key in the success of our program. We have been able to incorporate project-based learning across the district as a result of an exponential increase in participation from teachers and students. The fabrication laboratory is part of the curriculum and teachers have been using it in their courses, seamlessly. Students continue to be participants in the Fabrication Laboratory curricular activities and continue to positively supports our projects. We have participated in regional and local activities directed into engaging and communicating to the community the school effort regarding STEM. Students worked from recycling paper to recycling crayons using 3D printed molds. We also prepared professional development courses across the district. I personally conducted training into mathematics, science and chemistry. I developed a new professional development course titled “Introducing Environmental Chemistry into the Classroom”. In addition, I directly worked with the Chemistry teachers into updating our chemistry lectures and laboratories. With Rutgers University involvement and the Fellow Program, we hired and worked with seven fabrication laboratory fellows. The fellows worked in range of projects from supporting the administration, teachers and students. It is with great excitement and enthusiasm to continue working with our teachers and students. One of my personal goals is to identify areas of improvement so to deepen the understating of the core ideas as to better engage our students, teachers and parents.”

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