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Northview Middle School STEM students present at Niswonger Summer Institute
By RACHEL TOWNSEND
Managing Editor
Recently, Presentation Academy students from Northview Middle School were invited to present at the Niswonger Foundation STEM LD Summer Institute in East Tennessee. In addition to Northview Middle School students, Northview Middle School STEM instructor Mike French also invited several high school students, who were former Northview STEM students and past participants in Presentation Academy.
French says the opportunity started roughly a year ago, when Presentation Academy students presented at the National Science Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. In the presentation’s audience in Atlanta, Dr. Ramona Williams was a member of the Niswonger Foundation team in Greenville, TN.
“Williams contacted me and was amazed at the presentation skills that our students possessed, as well as the complex and extensive STEM projects that were shared with the audience,” said French. “Through a few conversations with Dr. Williams, my students and I were invited to present to educators at the Niswonger Foundation STEM LD Summer Institute in Blountville, TN.”
During the presentation held at the Niswonger Foundation STEM LD Summer Institute in East Tennessee, French says students shared 12 amazing STEM projects they complete at Northview each year. These projects include hovercrafts, racing drones, kayaks, catapults, prosthetic hands, and many more.
“This was such a great opportunity for our students and school,” said French. “We have collaborated with many educators across the state, but very few in East Tennessee. We are excited about the potential partnerships that a presentation like this will have on our school.”
While on the trip to East Tennessee, Northview students received a personal tour of the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and toured various sports complexes, the student centers, and many other areas of the campus.