RHS Engineering Brightness students attended the IEEE Integrated STEM conference at Princeton University in New Jersey. The theme of the conference is around how we can merge the arts and sciences together FOR PURPOSE. When you say for Purpose, that has many different definitions for many different people.
The first lesson happened in the hotel lobby. We gathered for a dress rehearsal. What were the three stories? It is not just about making lights for students who cannot study after sunset. 
There is also the collaboration between an elementary school in the UK, a middle school in the US and a high school in Canada. There is the idea of using Philanthropy for motivation for learning. Different audience members would want to hear different stories. We practiced handing out business cards and how to tag team delegates. Two students could chat with one group while the other two students await to engage another group when they arrive. The learning is not about science, but about communications.
The second lesson came from watching the presentation before mine. Each talk was scheduled for 15 min. Mine was about to begin and the previous group was still going strong. Five minutes into my time, they handed the mic over to the last member of their group who then rambled for an additional 7 minutes about little. It was frustrating to the audience, disrespectful of the other speakers and interfered with the whole day’s schedule. My students found it surprising that they had not practiced to know the time. Their teachers cut them off when time is up. Now it makes sense why. My talk was practiced at 14 min and the actual talk took only 12 min.
The third lesson came from the placement of their poster. They were at the Friendship Center early and had their choice of poster placement. Location, location, location. They chose the board directly beside one of the exhibitors, right at the Y in the hall. As participants came down the hall from the meal and bathrooms on the way to the stairs, their poster was the first one in line. They received a bunch of traffic. Although they were tasked with getting rid of all of their business cards, there were fewer delegates than expected, although quality was important. They had great discussions.
The fourth lesson came from a PhD candidate in communications. Their poster told a story with few words and lots of pics, large font with high contrast. They were praised for their poster as compared to a lab report on a large piece of paper. There is a time and place for both styles. If you are in front of the poster, so many words are not necessary.
Many of the delegates sought me out of the masses to congratulate me on my students. They told an engaging story in a logical manner with competence and confidence. It was so wonderful to see different personalities take hold. One student who turns bright red in answering a question in class all of a sudden came to life, was animated, good pacing, looked people in the eye, and spoke as opposed to reciting. Some ot the other students already had that ability. It was also interesting to see that some who are vocal in the small peer group took a quieter behind the scene role in the crowd.
At the end of the day, it was VERY empowering for them. They saw how the many different disciplines are required. I cannot just be a science, or engineering or arts person. All talents are needed. They also figured out that they can compete with the world’s best. Small town New Brunswick Education belongs at prestigious Ivey League schools, despite what they sometimes hear from the media and their friends.
