Dublin High School Engineering Academy Expanding, Impresses DUSD School Board

The Dublin High School Engineering and Design Academy is expanding for the 2013-14 school year. Based on the success of the program so far, Dublin High School was selected by Project Lead the Way (one of 46 out of 116 applicants) to pilot the new Computer Science & Software Engineering (CSSE) class. Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is also be added to the curriculum. In the future, Dublin High School may also build a dedicated building for the Engineering and Design Academy with funding provided by the most recent voter-approved bond measure.

At last week’s Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) Board of Trustees meeting, the Engineering and Design Academy, along with representatives from the Dublin High School Gael Force Robotics Club, had a chance to talk about the program and show off their VEX robotics skills. In addition to presentations by Dublin High administration and Engineering Academy teachers, several students commented on how the program has positively impacted their high school experience (see their complete comments and a robotics demonstration in the video later in this article):

“I enrolled in the [Introduction to Engineering Design] class year because I had never taken an engineering course or anything like it before, and it looked like it would be a fun class. I was right – right now it is one of my favorite courses in my entire high school career.”

“I’m currently enrolled in Principles of Engineering. The engineering program in our school is one of the most engaging programs we offer. As part of our Principles of Engineering class we learn skills such as creative thinking and time management in a real world setting.”

“This is my third year in the Engineering Academy. In my freshman year I took Principles of Engineering and in my sophomore year I took Introduction to Engineering Design, and this year I’m taking the new Digital Electronics class. This class has really sparked an interest in electronics within me. People in our class are really interested in what we learn, and I’m sure many of us will end up in an engineering field. I’m really excited about the classes that are coming next year!”

Video of the Student Presentations and Robotics Demonstration

New Dublin High Engineering Academy Course Descriptions

Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM)

How are things made? What processes go into creating products? Is the process for making a water bottle the same as it is for a musical instrument? How do assembly lines work? How has automation changed the face of manufacturing? While students discover the answers to these questions, they’re learning about the history of manufacturing, robotics and automation, manufacturing processes, computer modeling, manufacturing equipment, and flexible manufacturing systems.

Computer Science & Software Engineering (CSSE)

How do creative abstraction and computational power change our lives? In this course, students will engage in problems focused around computer science, web design and information technology, information science, and software engineering. Students will learn to use Python as well as HTML to create interactive web-pages,develop their own Android app and explore computer simulation.

Slideshow from the Board Presentation

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