Headed to Philly: Jefferson Elementary 'Emerging Engineers' chosen for international tech conference

Five first- through third-grade students at Jefferson Elementary in Cape Girardeau have earned the opportunity to present new and original ideas for technology during the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) on June 26 in Philadelphia.

With Cape Girardeau School District’s recent push to increase students’ community involvement and educational growth in Cape Girardeau, students are staying busy with a recently developed program at Jefferson — Emerging Engineers.

Emerging Engineers allows time for students to design, build and implement strategies through daily creation in the classroom, Jefferson Elementary STREAM specialist Kelley Branch said.

According to Branch, students seek solutions to problems with given, found or created material.

And with the great success of the program, Branch said, “We just felt like we needed to share it with all educators.”

Jefferson Elementary principal Leigh Ragsdale said it’s been fascinating to see creative engagement take place within the classrooms.

“You can just feel it,” Ragsdale said.

Students selected for the June conference are Ele Newson, first grade; Aiden Bragg, second grade; Aiden Joyce, second grade; Cooper Seabaugh, third grade; and Gemma Dombrowski, third grade.

According to Branch, ISTE is the largest technology conference in the world with about 20,000 educators in attendance. ISTE’s acceptance rate for proposals is less than 30%, she said.

In years past, the only student presenters have been from Argentina and Mexico, Branch said, adding it’s “such a big deal” for Jefferson Elementary to represent Cape Girardeau.

But how the five students were selected was not an easy process, Branch said, adding major community involvement also played a role.

“What we see everyday is our students leading us for better, and so our students are going to lead this presentation,” Branch said. “They’re presenting to educators this idea they can take back to their class that we’ve seen immense success through.”

The creative energy, leadership styles and educational growth stemmed from the Emerging Engineers program, Branch said, adding “we really see no limits on ourselves.”

When thinking about where students could present and whom they could present to, Branch said, talks began circling around the idea of a national stage “because we feel like our kids can do anything.”

To prepare the students for that setting, they first presented at Midwest Technology and Education Conference (METC) in February near St. Louis, Branch said.

And the students “absolutely nailed it,” she said.

The students presenting in Philadelphia will push the envelope and stretch the school, she said, “but we could not be more excited.”

Branch said, “This is definitely a first-time thing for [Jefferson Elementary].”

jhartwig@semissorian.com

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