Supported by a five-year grant from the GE Aerospace
Foundation, thousands of Grand Rapids area K-12 students will gain
exposure to engineering education and career opportunities through
GVSU's Padnos College of Engineering.
Leaders from GVSU and the GE Aerospace Foundation
announced the launch of the Next Engineers program on September 10
at GE Aerospace in southwest Grand Rapids.
Launched in 2021 by the GE Foundation, Next Engineers
advances students' interests in STEM education through hands-on
learning, career exploration and mentorship from GE Aerospace
volunteers.
From left, Bayo Ogundipe, dean of the Padnos College of Engineering;
Germaine Hunter, GE Aerospace Foundation board member; Darin DiTommaso,
vice president of GE Aerospace Defense and Systems Engineering; and Dev
Rajakrishna, executive leader of the GE Aerospace Grand Rapids site, are
pictured during a news conference Sept. 10 at the GE Aerospace facility
in southwest Grand Rapids.
Image credit - Cory Morse
The program has reached more than 34,000 students
worldwide and is expected to engage nearly 4,000 students in the
Grand Rapids area, creating new pathways for students to discover
and pursue a wide range of engineering fields.
“We are proud to bring Next Engineers to Grand Rapids
and expand access to engineering education in a community where GE
Aerospace has a strong presence,” said Germaine Hunter, vice
president of workplace and employee experience and GE Aerospace
Foundation board member. “Engineering has the power to transform
lives and communities by opening doors for students to tackle
real-world challenges.”
Bayo Ogundipe, dean of the Padnos College of Engineering, gives remarks
during the news conference.
Image credit - Cory Morse
Programming in Grand Rapids will include the
Engineering Discovery program for early secondary school students
and the Engineering Academy for older students preparing for higher
education. Through project-based learning, mentorship from GE
Aerospace volunteers and career exploration activities, students
gain exposure to a wide range of engineering disciplines and
pathways. Eligible participants who complete Engineering Academy and
pursue engineering degrees also receive scholarship support.
Bayo Ogundipe, dean of the Padnos College of
Engineering, said Next Engineers complements and enhances the
current K-12 outreach already done by college faculty, staff,
alumni, students and other volunteers.
“Introducing K-12 students to engineering and inspiring
them to see the many opportunities engineering provides is at the
heart of what we do at GVSU. We’re thrilled to partner with the GE
Aerospace Foundation on this important work,” Ogundipe said.
Other GVSU leaders connected to this project are Tim
Born, associate dean of engineering, and Larry Wyn, CLAS Center for
Experiential Learning and CS for Michigan collaborative lead.
Students, families and schools interested in learning
more can visit the Next Engineers website.
