In October 2012, students in the Propel Braddock Hills High School Radio Club convened and interviewed a panel of professionals who have careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Math (aka “STEM”). Then, with guidance from The Saturday Light Brigade, students edited and produced radio pieces featuring discussions about the importance of STEM fields in our society. Panelists included Erin Hopkins, a physics and biology teacher at Propel Braddock Hills High School; Mike Capsambelis, a product manager at Google; and Dr. Lanny Venham, a senior chemist at Reaxis, Inc., a chemical manufacturing company in McDonald, Pennsylvania.
Students in Radio Club fielded questions to professionals about their early interests in science, the education that prepared them for their careers, the challenges they faced along the way, and much more. Below are the resulting pieces and student reflections on the experience. These interviews were conducted as part of Propel Schools MAGICCC — Making a Great Commitment to Children, Communities and City — After School Program.
A special thanks to the panelists and their organizations for their participation in this project.