On May 7, for the fifth year, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Engineering Ambassadors (EA) have joined forces with St. Raymond High School for Boys to share their message, “Find your passion and Engineer It”. Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, St. Raymond and RPI were able to continue their collaboration by offering an enrichment opportunity for students interested in studying computer science or engineering in college.
A group of St. Raymond sophomores, juniors and seniors welcomed the opportunity to participate in the 8-week after school, virtual learning program. Working independently and in teams the St. Raymond students learned about the open-source electronics platform ARDUINO with the goal of learning engineering principles and putting them in practice through a “hands on” project. The students came up with their own project ideas and presented them to the EAs in the final class. For example, one team created a temperature/humidity sensor with LCD readout and LED indicators.
The St. Raymond students were also presented with certificates of completion by RPI, and Mr. Thomas Povinelli, the faculty advisor, announced that two senior participants were accepted to the University of Notre Dame and Lehigh University where they will major in engineering and computer science.
The RPI Engineering Ambassadors are a group of student engineers devoted to inspiring younger students to explore STEM fields by showing them the newest technological breakthroughs in their fields and the obstacles yet to be overcome. The group was established in the spring of 2011 and since its inception has reached more than 30,000 students in the Bronx and surrounding areas. Since RPI’s first visit, student interest in the field of engineering has grown tremendously at St. Raymond.
In the Catholic tradition, St. Raymond High School for Boys, in collaboration with parents and the parish community, serves young men who reflect the economic, geographic and cultural diversity of the New York metropolitan area. The school is proud to continually provide a quality education to young men in the Bronx. For more information about St. Raymond High School for Boys, please visit their website: www.straymondhighschool.org.
