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Look at What's Happening!
Engineering our Future....Leaders Series
Sgt. Major Ericka Tew visited the workshop on Saturday, Sept. 9 to share a few tips about planning for the future. Her words sparked a few scholars' interests in considering a career in the military. Tew is one of our mentors who is representing the Department of Defense.
Community Outreach Kicks Into High Gear
The teams have really been spending time showcasing their skills and truly engaging with the community through STEAM-based activities. Since school began to wind down in May, the Coding Comets have made their way through the community showing up at plant exchanges, back-to-school celebrations, open houses and community festivals. There's more to come as these scholars continue to make their imprint by inspiring a younger generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers while generating a spark of hope in the elders.
National Night Out
STEM activities with the youth and residents of the Forest Heights community. Team members also helped to distribute free seeds donated through a partnership with the seed hub at MH Farm in Winnsboro, SC.
Greenview Elem Back to School
The Coding Comets and Comet Blox were out in full force to help kick off the new school year with an immersion in all things STEAM- catapults, lava lamps and constellations.
JP Thomas Elem Open House
Coding Comets use home-made lava laps to teach young scientists about mixtures and solutions.
OMers Take 2 State First Place Trophies
Nine NoMa STEAM parents traveled behind the Odyssey of the Mind bus on Saturday, March 5 to support the four teams from Richland One who competed in this year's state tournament. Two additional Richland One schools participated as well. Keenan's teams brought home four first place trophies, the first time ever in the history of the school competing in OM. The bus started the journey at 6:00am and returned 12 hours later, so NoMa STEAM provided breakfast and snacks. These two teams earned the highest raw score among all competing teams. Many of these OMers have been competing together since second grade. They are now ninth and tenth graders.
5 NoMa STEAM Scholars Inducted into
Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society
We were so proud to learn that two additional NoMa STEAM scholars would be inducted into their high school's Mu Alpha Theta chapter of the National Math Honor Society. These students are selected after successfully completing Algebra 2 or higher math courses, maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA and being recommended by a teacher who recognizes their potential. The members must complete at least 3 community service and volunteer tutor hours each school year.
Driving & Coding with Dreher
The Driving and Coding Teams were invited to spend the day at Dreher High School on Saturday, February 25. Six members of the Coding Comets worked with their peers on Team 2815 to cut parts using heavy duty equipment. They wrote code to communicate with their robot, and they hammered, sawed, shaved and drilled to make their design even better. Staff members and students were so complimentary and supportive, an encore visit is already in the works.
Regional Mock Trial Competition
On February 25, 2023, sixteen students from W.J. Keenan High School participated in the Regional Mock Trial Competition held at the Richland County Central Court. The team had been been reviewing case files, writing statements and questions, and preparing their prosecuting and defense arguments for this in-person event for several weeks. According to Mrs. Katana Bradley, the government teacher in the Career Magnet program, this experience teaches students important things they should know about laws and the judicial system. At least eleven family members showed up to support these students. WJK STEAM was proud to support the Mock Trial team by delivering a hot lunch.
Team members posing in front of Edgewood Library, painted by Middleton's Paint Next Generation- one of our dedicated sponsors.
Stepping Out to STEP Up
Ten scholars from our Robotics and Odyssey of the Mind teams applied and participated in an informational session led by the Columbia Urban League. The meeting about a summer job program was held on February 23rd at the Richland County Public Library -Edgewood. The Urban League is looking for businesses and organizations who are willing to employ ambitious high school students for two- and four-week placements over the summer.
Coding Comets Team 9315
We got a late start, but the end is in view. These ladies are putting the final touches on the chassis and taking measurements for the bumpers. The countdown is on. Two and a half weeks until the first competition .
Team members working together to drill holes for parts of a metal frame.
Odyssey of the Mind
Team members- big and small- spend a great deal of time building their set and making props. The teams have just two more work sessions before the state competition in Spartanburg, SC.
Past Events
Odyssey of the Mind: Trash to Treasure
OMers are always putting their creative minds to work. The team will repurpose empty bottles they collected at a recent basketball game to create something groovy and unique to solve their problem.
Measure Thrice, Cut Once
The Coding Comets (check the blog for that story) are creating a template to test ideas for the robot they are planning to build. Eleven team members spent a day at the public library reading, researching and planning on a frigid Saturday afternoon.
FRC Robotics Kick-Off Event
Thanks to our donors, team 1398 Robo Raiders Robotics traveled to the first robotics event of the season at Fort Dorchester High School, January 7, 2023! Ask how you can help support the team.
1398 Team Robo Raiders At Work
These robotics students are getting charged up for their first season of competition. We celebrate the formation of the group. The school has not had a team compete in over four years.
Robo Raiders Do Jubilee
Six members of the Robo Raiders Robotics Team participated in Columbia's annual Jubilee Festival. The students demonstrated their building and logic skills as they shared STEAM activities with children visiting the Kid's Zone.
Benedict College Homecoming
Following the Benedict College Homecoming Parade, members of the WJ Keenan Marching Band assisted parents with setting up for a joint tailgate with the Eau Claire HS Marching Band Booster Club.
National Math Honor Society Inductees
Eight students get inducted into the 2021-22 NMHS chapter. The students are required to complete tutoring and service learning hours as a membership obligation.
Magnet Showcase
Students in the Career Magnet Program at WJK represented their career clusters by sharing program highlights and challenges before an audience of parents and staff.