There are several ways my internship can benefit the ASSIST Center. First, I am preparing the next generation of scientists. Teaching my students about nanotechnology, new sensors and technology, coding, mind mapping, the engineering design process and all the other skills I have learned, I am better preparing them for a career and research in STEM. These activities are also very engaging and can encourage students to learn more in STEM and consider STEM Careers. This can help create a larger workforce in STEM which we need in USA and more researchers in this topic which many of my student are not aware of. For Example most of my students do not know what Textile Engineers do, how wearable devices work etc..
I also preparing next generations of citizens who will be the policy makers, voters, corporate work force etc.. that will have to make many decision concerning; the environment, government policies, products to market etc.. and this will give them more background knowledge to understand environmental issues, technologies, the interconnectedness of people and animals to help the students make better decisions in the future and also wanting tolearn. Examples include; funding to scientists, product development, global warming policies and other topics.
This will also help my students see the roadblocks to the current technologies and areas to research in the future and maybe they can problem solve the issue. My students are very creative out of the box thinkers and with good content knowledge they will hopefully be able to problem solve and create new technologies in the future.
This also will help in general the community because the more education and skills my students receive the better futures and economic conditions they will live in and creating a stronger community. The more career opportunities and skills sets I can teach my students, the more likely this will happen. Stronger communities can also help create; a large tax base, funding, active voters and also can help them be aware as consumers what products can benefit them, like many of the wearable devices.
I will also be presenting at two conferences this year and hopefully more next year, this will allow more teachers to be educated on this topic and teach their students and also utilize the website and learn what the ASSIST Center does.
My students will have another Museum Exhibit this year. Last year we taught over 5000 people about the Microbiome. This year we will have an exhibit on Wearable Devices and educate the public in this area.
Last year we completed a project on Water Usage in Products with a school in Singapore. Next year I hope to find another school in the world to work on Wearable Device Project, this will help the ASSIST Center to research places internationally too.
Indirectly I am helping the ASSIST Center, because by teaching me, the staff at the ASSIST Center is learning how to communicate with the public better and make science accessible to all, since I have limited background on this topic too. I also am creating lesson plans that will help make the concepts we learn more accessible and teachable by teachers in middle school and also with students with disabilities.
It is hard to qualify all the impacts I can make through this Internship that will benefit the ASSIST Center, but in summary it will be: creating a better; STEM Workforce, future citizens both in government and industry for policy and decision making, spread the knowledge of the ASSIST Center through PLTS, Conferences, Museum Exhibits and Global Projects with other schools. I know I have greatly been impacted by my internship and I hope I can do a small part by benefiting the ASSIST Center too