Mike Hauser Academy connects students, lessons to real world careers

Following a year where school closures and a ramp up to virtual programming meant the program almost didn’t happen in 2020, the 2021 Mike Hauser Academy was back to mostly in-person instruction for students and participating businesses.

For three weeks in June, recent eighth grade graduates got the opportunity to interact with engineers and professionals from local companies, observe demonstrations, and participate in direct learning experiences and practical applications for STEM concepts.

It’s all part of a collaborative effort to increase academic achievement and inspire students to pursue their dream careers. Students heard from STEM professionals in our community talk about what they do on the job, their career paths, and how they use STEM in their day-to-day work.

While the inaugural Mike Hauser Academy launched with four business partner locations—Agilent Technologies (now Keysight Technologies), JDSU (now Viavi Solutions), Pacific Gas & Electric Co., and Medtronic—there are now over 30 businesses and organizations participating, helping students make the connection between the importance of STEM studies and the possibilities of future careers. These businesses range from local powerhouses like Medtronic and Keysight, where students investigated medical stent technology or built a solar powered model car, to smaller firms like TLCD Architecture, where students designed a parklet in model form that taught them how to use scale and measurement and dovetailed nicely into math lessons from their teacher.

With major funding by the John Jordan Foundation, the Metro Chamber’s Mike Hauser Academy provides the critical bridge for many middle school students entering high school. This year the in-person Academy was more relevant than ever because students missed the majority of their middle school on-campus experience due to the pandemic, and the program was critical to build confidence and to help them prepare to enter high school in the fall.

In the coming months, an analysis of pre- and post-Academy survey results will be released in a report that will shed light on students’ perceptions and attitudes toward math and science in education, confidence with science and math, and interest in pursuing STEM majors and careers.