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ON THE JOB: YOUTH EXPLORE STEM CAREERS In <strong>2018</strong> Youth toured Mighty AI in Seattle, and locally, Dwayne Lane’s Skagit Ford, Skagit River Steel & Recycling, Sierra Pacific Industries, Olmstead Transportation, and the Heritage Flight Museum In <strong>2018</strong>, members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County were able to visit several businesses in Skagit County, and one in Seattle. These particular field trips were part of Boys & Girls Clubs’ science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs, led by Nathan Allen, the Director of STEM Initiatives for Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County. The STEM Initiatives provide opportunities for middle school and high school aged youth to learn about STEM careers and gain skills related to professions in those fields. In the weeks leading up to a tour, youth participated in activities that taught them about the aspects of technology, manufacturing, and engineering related to each destination. Field trips let youth see how the skills gained at the Clubs can be applied to “real life” jobs and also helps them pursue their career goals and develop a plan to reach them. Additionally, these tours get members out into the community beyond the Club—an exciting change of pace, and usually a memorable experience. “STEM education should always be fun—that is major element of these tours,” says Allen. Donning safety goggles, ear plugs, and helmets, youth entering the sawmill at Sierra Pacific Industries were immediately wowed. Ava Gage, a 6th grader from La Venture Club, noted, “At first I was scared, but the tour was really cool!” Sierra Pacific Industries is the second-largest lumber producer in the United States and their sawmill in Burlington, WA runs 22 hours a day with more than 180 employees. Further, they operate entirely in-house, hiring engineers, welders, accountants, and even programmers for software they write and run. “The mill was incredibly stimulating,” said Allen, “the saws are deafening, there’s a powerful scent of saw dust, and logs are literally being torn apart and formed into long planks by massive machines.” Youth who visited Mighty AI, a Seattle-based tech start-up that develops artificial intelligence for self-driving cars, got some hands-on experience with seeing how Mighty AI’s software interprets images. Club members took turns drawing an outline on a computer and the software would create a photographic-like image of cat within the boundaries of their drawing. “I liked learning about how they are using mostly physics” said Rhiannon, an 8th grader. One of the Mighty AI presenters explained that calculus, linear algebra, and physics are all used in the algorithms that work in artificial intelligence. Club members also spent some time one-onone with employees there, asking questions about how one would pursue a career in this type of tech field. “The speed networking was interesting and surprising,” remarked Zoey from the Anacortes Club, “it was cool because I found out why most of them work there.” “I am my dad’s best helper,” Jenna says, “I help him fix and load his truck.” On the way to tour Olmsted Transportation, a major trucking business in Skagit County, Jenna buzzed with excitement about different kinds of trucks and their various uses while using an impressive breadth of trucking terminology. During their tour of the Heritage Flight Museum, Club members stuck their heads inside airplanes that escaped Pearl Harbor, felt steel plating that protected soldiers from bullets, and learned about the unique purpose of each plane. “My favorite is the big green one,” said Nathaly, a 7th grade member, referring to a massive WWII bomber. The tour of the airport included an introduction to small private planes where Club members were allowed to sit behind the controls of a couple of airplanes and were shown basics of how to operate them. The tour concluded with information on how to enter aviation careers. Jenna, a member of the Sedro-Woolley Club is a large truck enthusiast. “I am my dad’s best helper,” Jenna says, “I help him fix and load his truck.” On the way to tour Olmsted Transportation, a major trucking business in Skagit County, Jenna buzzed with excitement about different kinds of trucks and their various uses while demonstrating an impressive breadth of trucking terminology. Teens from the Club learned about all the technology Olmsted uses to track drivers and maintain their business and got a look under the hood and inside some of the semi-trucks in the fleet. continued on page... 11 9