For more than a decade, the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy has been forging a unique path in education. Using project-based learning and a curriculum that combines physics, engineering and art, DPEA is a national leader in STEM education.
In recognition of the trailblazer of that path, the DPEA machine shop will be dedicated this month as the Amir Abo-Shaeer Fabrication Laboratory. Thanks to $500,000 in donations from the Mosher Foundation and an anonymous donor, the shop will continue to serve the more than 400 students who make up the ground-breaking, award-winning academy.
“I’m thrilled and honored by the generosity of our donors who make this possible,” said Amir Abo-Shaeer, who continues as the DPEA director. “This will help ensure that our project-based learning system will continue for years to come.”
DPEA alumni, many of whom are now working in a wide variety of technology careers and attending top colleges studying engineering, are all invited to return for the event, which will be held at DPEA at 2 p.m. Dec. 21. The general public is also invited to attend the ceremony.
“The Mosher Foundation has been one of our most steadfast supporters,” DPEA Foundation president Sandy Seale said. “They wanted to make sure that Mr. Shaeer was recognized for the vision he has shown and the leadership he continues to display.”
Seale said Abo-Shaeer picked the unique name for the shop himself to show that it is more than a building with machines … it is a place where students will learn, experiment, build and create.
The new Abo-Shaeer Fabrication Laboratory will continue in its role as a prime building space for the DPEA’s annual entry in the FIRST Robotics competition.
Starting this school year, it will also be the creation site for components of the new student-built mechatronics installation.
“Amazing things have happened here,” Seale added. “And with these gifts, we are looking forward to even more amazing things in the future.”
The public and alumni are invited to the event; no RSVP is necessary. The DPEA buildings are located on the campus of Dos Pueblos High School, 7266 Alameda Ave. in Goleta.
Click here for more information about the four-year program at the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy. Click here to make an online donation.
— Jim Buckley is a communications mentor for the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy.