Centerville High School Given National Recognition as Model School for STEM Manufacturing Education

Nov. 19, 2012 - PRLog -- DEARBORN, Mich., CENTERVILLE, Ohio, — Centerville High School, Centerville, Ohio, has been named one of nine exemplary schools in eight states by the SME Education Foundation through its PRIME (Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education) program.

PRIME, a community-based approach to manufacturing education, is part of a commitment by the SME Education Foundation to address the shortage of manufacturing and technical talent in the United States. Launched in 2011, with the selection of six schools in six different states, model schools funded through PRIME offer STEM-based curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to prepare young people for highly skilled jobs with lucrative potential. One of the richest sources of employment and economic growth will be jobs requiring a solid STEM education.

PRIME was developed as a response to the growing skills gap crisis in the United States along with its greater mission to inspire, prepare and support STEM-interested students. Upon graduation, they will leave school with the tools to further their education and become future innovators and contributors to industry.
The PRIME designation for Centerville High School comes with a three-year commitment by the SME Education Foundation to provide assistance in creating and fostering strong partnerships with the local manufacturing base to provide job shadows, mentoring and internships. In addition, PRIME schools receive funds totaling $35,000 for the three years to support equipment upgrades, continuing education for instructors and a STEM-based camp for middle-school students. The SME Education Foundation Scholarship Program provides students with access to scholarship funding.

“The concept of PRIME and the funding it provides is helping to strengthen the quality of manufacturing education we offer,” says Centerville High School CIM Instructor, Dan Stacy. “We will be able to purchase two 3-D printers, thus, enhancing our rapid prototyping abilities. Also, we’re happy to let parents know the Gateway Academy summer camp for middle-school students will be offered for 2013."

“Centerville High School offers its students an exceptional advanced manufacturing curriculum, dedicated instructors and has secured the involvement from local industry to provide the right mix of academic and real-world experience,” says Bart A. Aslin, CEO, SME Education Foundation. “Since there is a significant lack of any manufacturing experience at the university level, the importance of students having access to the manufacturing, hands-on course of study is critical to building a technically-skilled workforce.”  

Centerville’s PLTW (Project Lead The Way) program allows students to design and manufacture using real-world CAD/CAM systems and access to conventional machining capabilities. They learn how the application of basic STEM fundamentals relates to the design and the manufacture of components required for various projects; and they learn the cost impact of machining tolerances and process capabilities of various manufacturing equipment.

The integration of a manufacturing curriculum (CIM) and an engineering curriculum (POE and IED) allow students to realize the opportunities and rewards of a career in Manufacturing Engineering. They gain manufacturing-related experiences generally not offered in a university engineering program and earn college credit by passing the year-end PLTW exam. The college credit is accepted by most universities throughout the U.S.

The academic and career-technical manufacturing education program at Centerville High School offers a rigorous course of study designed by PLTW, a national education non-profit. Coursework is linked to a manufacturing environment at the school’s lab where students are given hands-on experience by applying math and science concepts to solve real-world problems.  

Contrary to the challenges manufacturing faced in the past ten or more years, Dayton’s manufacturing base is being reenergized with new investment in plants, equipment and operations. In parallel, a demand for highly-skilled technical workers increases the importance of business, industry and education collaboration.

One of the major benefits of the PLTW course of study offered through the Career Tech Program at Centerville High School is being able to earn a college credit. Several local colleges and universities offer a seamless transition from high school to college. Centerville High School students are awarded a $3,000 scholarship to Sinclair Community College where they can major in several two-year manufacturing and engineering technology programs and transfer to the University of Dayton to complete their four-year degree with a 33 percent reduction in tuition.

PRIME sites for 2013 include: Alabama: Calera High School, Calera, Ala.; California: Esperanza High School, Anaheim, Calif.; Petaluma High School, Petaluma, Calif.; Indiana: McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology, Indianapolis, Ind.; Iowa: Cedar Falls High School, Cedar Falls, Iowa; Massachusetts: Westfield Vocational Technical High School, Westfield, Mass.; Michigan: Jackson Area Community Center, Jackson, Mich.; Ohio: Centerville High School, Dayton, Ohio, and Wisconsin: Bradley Technical High School, Milwaukee, Wis.

To-date, the SME Education Foundation has provided funding of more than $285,000 through PRIME to model high schools to help manufacturing and its advanced technologies drive the economic vitality of local communities. This initiative builds on a five-year, $5.2 million investment in their STEM-based manufacturing education workforce development programs.

Industry Partners:
Certified Heat Treat, Definity Partners; Invotec Engineering; Millenium Metals; Process Equipment Company (PECO); RAM Precision Industries; T&R Welding, and Volker Controls. Additional support is provided by several employees from Aida Technologies, General Electric; National Composites; Reynolds Machine; Sinclair College, and the University of Dayton.

About Centerville High School (CHS):
Centerville High School, established in 1885, is a public school of secondary education for approximately 2,800 students in grades 9–12 with staff of 192. It is the only high school in the Centerville City School District, which also includes three middle schools, six elementary schools, and two K-1. It is among the few public high schools in Ohio to receive a distinguished Great Schools Rating of 10 out of 10 and has the third highest student population in Ohio. CHS curriculum includes esoteric courses as well as vocational courses in the Performing Arts, Music, Preparatory College-Career, and the School of Possibilities (SoP) offering an alternative educational pathway. It also offers 25 Advanced Placement tests in 18 courses in science, mathematics, history, government, language, economics, and psychology.

About the SME Education Foundation:
The SME Education Foundation is committed to inspiring, supporting and preparing the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technologists in the advancement of manufacturing education. Created by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 1979, the SME Education Foundation has provided more than $31 million since 1980 in grants, scholarships and awards through its partnerships with corporations, organizations, foundations, and individual donors. Visit the SME Education Foundation at www.smeef.org. Also visit our award-winning website for young people at www.ManufacturingisCool.com, and www.CareerMe.org for information on advanced manufacturing careers.

Media Contacts:
Bart A. Aslin, CEO, SME Education Foundation, 313.425-3300, baslin@sme.org