Archives Summer 2020

The summer of 2020 was definitely different. North Caroline was different; Davie County was different. The whole
world was different. Every single part of our lives had been affected by COVID. Since our last school day on
March 13th, education--in every shape and form--has not been the same. This includes the Davie County High
STEM Center and everything it offers.

STEM Leads worked throughout the summer, though, to still provide students with experiences that take them
beyond Davie High and teachers with opportunities to collaborate and learn from each other during the upcoming
school year.

What was not different was the STEM Center’s ability to adapt and learn in the way we hope to always lead our
students: failing forward, using the Design Process, and focusing on growth.

Virtual Enrichment Trips

All enrichment trips this summer were offered as Virtual Enrichment Trips. For those seeking Distinction, they
count as half of a regular Enrichment Trip. The opportunity to provide virtual trips for STEM students opened up a
whole new range of experiences for our students in ways we could never accomplish by getting on a bus.

Virtual Enrichment #1
● Connect Raleigh: Discover the Art of Science​→ June 25th @ 7:00 PM

In this virtual, live event, we will discover how one artist draws inspiration from research in
physics, philosophy, psychology, sound, astronomy, myth, magic and poetry. The event is
presented by the Science Cafe series in partnership with the NC Museum of Natural
Sciences. Guest speaker and
local artist Alyssa Miserendino
will explore ideas and answer
questions.

https://raleighnc.gov/government/content/CityMgrAdmin/Articles/ConnectRaleigh.html
Virtual Enrichment #2
● #GenGeo Careers in Exploration: Adventurer Wasfia
Nazreen​→ July 7th @ 2:00 PM

“Wasfia Nazreen is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer & 

Adventurer of the Year–the only woman to hold these titles 
simultaneously. She is known for being the first Bangladeshi and 
Bengali to climb the Seven Summits (the highest mountain on 
each continent), including the famed Mount Everest in Nepal. Her 
passion, though, has always been driven by causes close to her 
heart, such as 
empowering women and girls through outdoor education and 
adventures. Join host and Young Explorer Sahar 
Mohammadzadeh 
in conversation with 
Wasfia about her 
inspiring career and 
discover how you 
can build a blueprint 
for a potential 
career in 
exploration and 
education.” ​ --from N
​ ational Geographic​ A
​ bout Wasfia Nazreen​ page.

***Starting with #3, we took advantage of a series posted by IBM to help

young people develop job skills and be more informed about future
career choices.

Virtual Enrichment #3
● A Day in the LIfe of a Cybersecurity and zSystems Professional​→ July 14th @ 11:00 AM

“Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing field. In

this virtual, live event hosted by IBM, you will
learn about different pathways in
cybersecurity and zSystems. Presenters will

share their journeys to their profession, their day-to-day tasks,

various career opportunities, and tips/tricks or advice. Speakers
include a project manager, a solution offering manager, an
engineer/master inventor/CTO for security from IBM.”​ ​-​-from IBM Skills:
SummerSkillUp site
Virtual Enrichment #4
● A Day in the Life of an Artificial Intelligence Professional​→ July 21st @ 11 AM

“In this workshop, participants will

be introduced to the role of design
thinking in developing A​I​ solutions
and basic A​I​ fundamentals
associated with agentive
assistants. We will complete an
entry design activity and connect you to further learning in design thinking and natural language technologies for
A​I​.” ​--​ from IBM Skills: SummerSkillUp site

Virtual Enrichment #5
● Design Thinking: Human Centered Problem Solving​→ July 23rd @ 3 PM 
 
“Critics of innovation often say, ‘Just because you can, doesn’t 
mean that you should.’ Fair enough. But how do you figure out 
what you should do when you see problems all around you? 
Design thinking starts to answer that question by focusing on 
the people you serve. In this session, you’ll learn the essentials 
of design thinking and how you can use it to better tackle 
challenges.”​ -​ ​-from IBM Skills: SummerSkillUp site 

Virtual Lunch & Learns

For the first time ever, the STEM Center offered Lunch & Learns over the summer in an effort to give students
access to this opportunity after having to cancel speakers during last spring. These were also offered virtually
which paved the way for Lunch & Learns throughout the fall of 2020.

Virtual Lunch & Learn #1

● College Admissions: David Stevenson,
Catawba College​→ July 28th @ 2:00 PM

It’s never too early to start thinking about the

college admission process. David Stevenson,
Admissions Counselor from Catawba College,
will discuss the general college admissions
process, provide specific information about
Catawba and its programs, and answer student
questions.
Virtual Lunch & Learn #2
● Don’t Worry; Bee Happy!--Jesse Ledbetter, DCHS
Agriculture Educator​→ July 29th @ 2:00 PM

Mr. Ledbetter is a teacher of Agriculture at Davie High and

an avid beekeeper and apiary manager. ​In this Lunch &
Learn, students will learn the basic anatomy of the bee, why
bees are important to the environment, and what tools are
needed for getting started with beekeeping.

Virtual Freshman Kickoff: All Things STEM

A ​virtual​ Kickoff was yet another “first” for the Davie High STEM Center. Rising STEM freshmen and their
parents were able to view a pre-recorded presentation featuring STEM Leads, student videos, and pictures of all
STEM Center teachers. This video gave students and their families an overview of the STEM Center’s initiatives
and opportunities. It was followed up with two optional Q&A sessions on Monday, August 3rd @ 6:30 PM or
Thursday, August 6th @ 6:30 PM. Parents and students could attend either or both to ask questions after viewing
the video.

As the final piece to prepare Cohort 9 for high school, All STEM freshmen were also provided with a handout
folder ranging from information over the STEM Center website and Remind to how to become a STEM Distinction
Graduate. Through this packet, students could take advantage of filling
out and turning in the sheet that will be returned to them as seniors, and
parents could still submit their letters that will be opened at the Senior
Celebration in four years.

This process, although different from years past, allowed us to maintain

the four goals for a STEM Freshman Kickoff: overview of info, Q&A time, opportunities in writing, and
participation in the student and parent letters.

STEM Leads to Speak at State Conference

STEM Leads were challenged by DCS administrator Cherri White

to present about the STEM Center on a state platform. Leads
applied to the Bridging the Gap Conference with a presentation
entitled “A Teacher-Powered STEM Center” along with the
following description: “​Empowered to design a STEM Center
within a comprehensive high school, Davie High Lead Teachers
redefined the role of teacher to instruction and program facilitator.
Participants will learn, through the eyes of lead teachers, about
their teacher-powered model.”

STEM Leads were contacted that their application had been accepted for the October 27-28 conference with the
concept that the conference this year could be virtual.