The Jewish Educational Center continues to blaze a path of opportunity, innovation and achievement for its students as its Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy division unveils its latest showpiece in the area of STEM education and development.
This follows the recent installation of two state-of-the-art laboratories at the Bruriah campus for the girls’ high school division, and major technology and STEM additions and upgrades in the JEC’s lower school division.
“In the history of our people, the greatest learning has always been a product of discovery through questions and answers, trial and error and, ultimately, growth,” said Rabbi Ami Neuman, principal of the RTMA boys’ high school division. “It’s been happening in our batei medrash, and now in our new-and-improved STEM lab,” he said, as he led a tour of the brand-new state-of-the-art laboratory.
The new RTMA lab features two 3D printing machines as well as a CNC device, generously donated to the RTMA by Brian and Ariele Ness and family, that allows for digital printing on wood and metal. This revolutionary device represents the next generation of printing, and a special enclosed area was designed in the lab for students to train, explore and create using this machinery. Several students took time off their summer vacations to help develop the lab and specifically on how to train on the new machinery. Representatives of Picoturbine International, the manufacturer of the CNC machinery, were joined by Dr. Smallwood of CIJE and RTMA’s own faculty in training their students, who in turn will then serve as leaders and assist STEM faculty in teaching their fellow students.
“The excitement of the boys was palpable and their energy infectious,” said one of the teachers who participated in the training. “They couldn’t wait to learn during their summer vacation. We opened the box of the new computerized numerical control (CNC) machine and began to assemble. Once the CNC was assembled, professional engineers from PicoTurbine and CIJE fine-tuned the machine and guided the boys through their very first project. This highly precise machine will allow them to construct projects out of both metal and wood. The students are utilizing three-dimensional design software to control every motion of the machine. This opens the doors to their imaginations, inspires their creativity and fortifies their critical-thinking skills. The success of the inaugural engineering internship at RTMA was inspiring and an enriching experience enjoyed by students, teachers and engineers.”
For the RTMA, advanced and cutting-edge STEM education is critical in preparing students for the future. “Our students will work on their own discoveries through those same time-treasured principles of experimentation and persistence. They will undoubtedly meet failures along the way, but they will use those to learn and grow to even greater accomplishments,” promised Rabbi Neuman.
By JLNJ Staff
