The Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy is a four-year program that, by 2015, will enroll more than 400 high school students in its engaging curriculum on the campus of Dos Pueblos High School, 7266 Alameda Ave. in Goleta. The academy’s goal is to provide a project-based learning experience in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, also known as STEM.
This year, with the opening of the Elings Center for Engineering Education, 108 freshmen joined the academy. Once enrolled, DPEA students are exposed to a comprehensive curriculum that integrates science, art and engineering. In their senior year, they are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge to construct a robot to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition.
With a multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art facility, the DPEA Foundation has been working hard to raise the funds necessary to keep the Engineering Academy up and running. On top of the funds given by the state of California, running DPEA classes costs the foundation roughly $1,000 per student per year. The money for the DPEA goes toward equipment necessary for project-based learning, such as computers to learn CAD (computer aided design), mills, lathes and CNC (computer numerical control) machines for students to learn critical engineering skills. Additionally, these funds provide travel scholarships to ensure that every student can attend robotics competitions to watch the performance of the robot that they dedicated hundreds of hours to constructing.
At the start of the year, the DPEA was awarded three exceptionally generous grants from Raytheon, The Mosher Foundation and an anonymous donor. All three are Platinum Sponsors with the DPEA. Their donations enable the academy to acquire much of the equipment necessary to teach students the skills involved in the field of engineering.
To aid in manufacturing robot parts and teaching shop classes, Raytheon gave the Engineering Academy a Hardinge lathe that has quickly become the jewel of the Elings Center machine shop. With this machine, students can execute extremely precise and intricate designs.
The Mosher Foundation has donated funds to purchase computers for the new computer in the Elings Center and it generously supports the development of the new curriculum for the Engineering Academy.
Thanks to Raytheon and the Mosher Foundation, Team 1717 was able to set up the new Elings Center for Engineering Education. In the competitive and interactive environment of the DPEA and FIRST Robotics, students will be given the opportunity to explore the fields of math and science in a hands-on way, which will prepare them for brilliant and fascinating careers as they head off into the future.
» Click here for more information on the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy.
» Click here for more information on the DPEA Foundation. Click here to make an online donation.
— The Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy Public Relations & Event Reporting Team includes Jeff Gau, Chloe Warinner, Justin Morris, Sepideh Parhami, Phillip Hodgson, Parker Olson and Danielle Tisdale.