Suffolk program gives students 3-D view of career paths

SUFFOLK

Kevin Januks stared at a teal circle on the computer screen. He used his cursor to manipulate the figure, creating a curve that switched from shallow to almost U-shaped as he moved the mouse.

"It's not letting me do what I wanted," the 17-year-old whispered.

Kevin had the wheel frame, a tire and a couple of axles down. Now he needed to finish designing the body of his all-terrain vehicle - no easy feat for a teenager just learning modeling and simulation software.

This fall, eight students joined the new science, technology, engineering and math academy at the Pruden Center for Industry and Technology. The teens, Kevin included, hail from Suffolk and Isle of Wight County high schools.

They travel to the center for about two hours every school day to study engineering and technology, with an emphasis on modeling and simulation. Those students who complete the two-year program will earn high school credit, 12 credits at Tidewater Community College, and the skills to work as a modeling and simulation support specialist.

If things go as planned, a second "career pathway" - interactive media with a specialization in geographic information systems - will be offered at the center in fall 2009. Starting next year, academy applicants will be interviewed and required to pass a community college entrance test before being accepted, said Connie Burgess, Pruden's assistant director.

Called FIRST, or Fostering Innovation and Relevance Through STEM and Trades, the program is one of seven Governor's Career and Technical Academies announced this year.

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices provided grant money for the academies, as well as similar efforts in five other states. Virginia is offering matching support with federal Workforce Investment Act funds. The Pruden Center received $120,000 to plan and start FIRST.

The academy "will be a very important link in the work force chain," said Mike McGinnis, executive director of Old Dominion University's Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center.

Employers in the manufacturing, medical, military and planning fields, among others, are looking for workers of all skill levels who understand modeling and simulation, he said. The technology is used to improve processes.

"Hampton Roads happens to be an area emerging as a hot spot for modeling and simulation," said McGinnis, an adviser to the Pruden academy.

In John Wandling's two modeling and simulation classes at the center, students are learning the basics by building a three-dimensional computer model of a vehicle of their choice. Kevin, a student at Suffolk's Nansemond River High School, decided on the Mongoose, an ATV featured on the "Halo 3" video game.

"It's actually turning out to be pretty difficult," said Myles Napier, a Windsor High School student who also is building a Mongoose model.

Their next step is to build scale models with a roughly $30,000

3-D printer that stands about waist-high. The device takes the computer models and, using layers of powder and fixative, creates a physical production of them with every detail intact. The process takes a few hours to complete but can be viewed through the printer's glass top.

The vehicle models "printed" by students will range from 9-inches-by-3 inches to 12-inches-by-4-inches, Wandling said. They'll sand, paint and polish the creations, with the best three winning cash prizes.

Another project has the teens using computer programming skills. They were assigned to create an interface that shows how long it would take for $100 to double in the bank with various interest rates.

"What we're into here is hands-on learning," Wandling said.

Next school year, they'll be paired with workplace mentors in the field of their choice. The students will finish the program with the skills to enter an entry-level job, but Wandling said he encourages them to pursue apprenticeships and college.

"I think if you enjoy the technology, you'll have fun," he said. "If you don't like it, it can be grueling."

Hattie Brown Garrow, (757) 222-5562, hattie.brown@pilotonline.com