Several years ago, I started the first team in California to participate in national engineering competition known as U. S. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). This was specifically directed at high school students for the purpose of exposing them to the idea of engineering as a career choice. Teams from across the country received identical boxes of parts and a description of the tasks the robot was to perform. But no two robots ever looked of functioned the same way. With the guidance of real engineers, the students designed, built and tested a robot, all within a 6-week period. The robots were remote-controlled, and were mechanical and electrical marvels. The teams all met for a 3-day national competition and a winner emerged. The kids and the adults had tremendous amounts of fun that overlaid the educational experience. Unfortunately, parent participation was low. Many of the students that I led saw the light and took the courses that they needed to get into college, especially applying to engineering schools.

Anyone can start a team at any high school and participate in the competition. There is no better way, in my opinion, to engage high school students in science and technology.

"It isn't all over; everything has not been invented; the human adventure is just beginning." Gene Roddenberry.

I have always been a fan of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek where our future lies in the final frontier of space. I think that America needs a goal like space exploration, just like JFK's plan to put a man on the moon. It was growing up in the 60's that I wanted to be an astronaut and I would watch the launching of the Apollo rockets to the moon.

So what does this have to do with Engineering America's Future? In order to promote science and engineering their should be some sort of goal as a nation that we should strive for. The space race gave us an opportunity to risk and gain technology that has benefitted mankind.

How can we promote Science and Engineering to todays' youth by giving them opportunites to explore science and technology. Since I running for the Simi Valley School Board I think we should explore the idea of setting up a science/math magnet program that explores career possibilities in these areas. In Ventura County we have companies like AMGEN with BioEngineering opportunities and Government agencies such as NAVSEA Port Hueneme that have engineering opportunities that we can tap into. I think if we can give choices for our youth to choose from then they will explore these opportunities.

As a Head Start Teacher I have seen 3 and 4 year old children begin their adventure by building with blocks. Exploring their space with blocks and creating items such as cars or planes from simple wooden blocks. They create universes that are unique for each individual child. They learn how to count and group objects, and so their imaginations and dreams grow from exploration.

Did you know that all great Science and Engineering achievement have come from someone's dream. If we really want to protect America's future then we need to invest in our dreamers.

Other states are taking action.

N.J. to toughen up standards for its high school students

Concerned the state is falling behind in math and science, Gov. Corzine wants changes. By Tom Hester Jr.Associated Press

TRENTON - Saying high school students need more science, mathematics and technology education even if they go right to work instead of college, New Jersey officials yesterday announced plans to rework high school requirements.Gov. Corzine and education officials said they would work in the coming months on a gradual toughening of curriculum standards, assessment tests and graduation requirements to address concerns that New Jersey isn't keeping pace with the nation or the world."Just graduating isn't enough," Corzine said. "We now have a global economy. We live in a world where your competition is not your next-door neighbor."He and acting Education Commissioner Lucille Davy said New Jersey would work with the American Diploma Project Network, a coalition of 23 states dedicated to ensuring curricula and assessments match the demands of college and work.A study by the coalition determined that students need four years of science, for instance. New Jersey requires only three.Davy noted that while New Jersey students must take four years of physical education, they needed to take only three years of science and mathematics to graduate.As many as 80 percent of freshmen at some of the state's community colleges and as many as half the freshmen at some of its four-year colleges need remedial education, she said.Corzine said changes would be gradual."We will work to make sure this is rolled out over the next several years," he said.One reason, Davy said, is to protect against pushing students who may drop out when faced with tougher standards.Davy said that extending the school year had not been discussed as an option, but that it could be considered. Corzine was not enthused by that idea."It comes with a cost," he said, arguing that the state needed to focus instead on raising its curriculum standards and offering improved after-school and summer programs.Davy said a committee formed to consider changes planned to meet throughout the state with teachers, school officials and the public.About 90 percent of the state's high school freshmen graduate from high school, and about 60 percent of them go to college, according to national education statistics.

Students need to be shown how fun math and science are and what opportunites will open up to them in the science and math fields. You need to engage them before middle school.

My husband Tim and I offered two scholarships to students of Simi Valley this year to attend Summer Science Camp. We made this offer to 3-5 grade students. We were hoping to make more families aware that these programs were out there and to facilitate discussion between students, parents and educators about the many opportunities there are in the science or math fields.

We wanted to make science fun for students before they started middle school. We felt that giving teachers this tool would give student's more instant gratification. The hope was that when they entered secondary school's they would be more motivated to take the rigorous courses in science and math that they would need to be accepted to college.

We sent one student to Desitination Science Camp and she studied robotics. The other student attended Astrocamp and he studied, astronomy and physics.

The kids had a blast. They both sent me e-mails with pictures and are eager to talk to their friends at school about their experiences.

When my oldest son was in sixth grade we hired our stock broker to come and talk to the students and set up an account for them to invest with. The broker agreed to do it for free with no commission. The students were told they could use the money at the end of the school year for a class party. Many students went home and started asking their parents about their companies and whether they were traded publicly etc. The teacher was able to use this tool for the entire year to supplement his math class. My oldest is very savy about money now and tells his friends "dude you should open an IRA, you will get back $1000 if you save $3000, then you can reinvest the money or pay down student loans. That's a 33% ROI.

When my yongest son was in second grade the teacher wanted to teach science and math to students by have a cooking class once a week. I put together a cookbook and came to the class weekly and taught the kids to cook. The toher benefit was that they learned how to make healthy snacks, practice good hygiene, kitchen safety and how to work cooperatively together. To this day my youngest son loves to cook.

Parent's need to be more involved and invest in their future, their children and their classmates.

"dude you should open an IRA, you will get back $1000 if you save $3000, then you can reinvest the money or pay down student loans. That's a 33% ROI."

Disclaimer-not all people will receive this ROI from investing in IRS's etc. this is based on his income taxes, and income level as a student etc. and the $1000 was a tax refund, just in case I get some heat about not being a tax expert. I was just relaying a conversation I overheard him have. His friend inherited some money and he had him talk to us about investing etc.

Make that IRA's