Technology & Innovation

Engineering students are tasked with creating the tallest tower out of straws that could support a tennis ball. Students are given 25 straws and a roll of Scotch tape. They could use tape on the first tower, but not on the second. It's all about trial and error project design!

The tallest tower, thus far, has been created by Jason Paul and Joshua Sojka at 52"!

All Freshmen students take the Innovation, Design, Engineering, and Applications course. During this course, students learn to build and maneuver a robotic car from scratch, create a car company (complete with branding, marketing, and expected revenue projections), and present their complete projects as a team.

In the Introduction to Engineering course, students are tasked with designing a car powered by just one standard mousetrap and making it move the furthest. So far, Renee K. and Gina G. hold the record at 52 feet! 

Jeremy Hopwood '14 paid a visit to our Engineering students! Jeremy is currently a mechanical/aerospace engineering student at Central Connecticut State University and recently won a NASA research fellowship! 

Milestone C’s IDEA program brings freshmen students face to face with “real world experience”. Using technology-centered, hands-on, inquiry-based learning, and problem solving students are faced with building an electric car company from the ground up. As the project progresses, students take on with specific roles and are tasked building a remote control electric car prototype, website and marketing materials, renderings, detailed sketches, and deliver presentations to their stakeholders. Students will have repeated opportunities to utilize their own skill sets, be a part of a simulated company, and learn new foundational skills. Using the design mindset, students will apply problem-solving skills, collaboration & cultivating teamwork, communication, practice task management & time management, and critical-thinking skills.

Milestone C’s Robotics and Automated Systems (RAS) program brings students into he world of robotics, one that is interwoven consistently in the fabrics of every single engineering and scientific industry, from aerospace and automotive, to medicine and nuclear physics. Students, through building a robotic hexapod and coding/programming the robot gain understanding of how electronics, mechanics, and software come together in the 21st century, leading to articulated and automated systems design. RAS features state-of-the-art technologies that rapidly propel students from foundational topics into articulation, feedback loops, and automation programmingwhile defining the cutting edge of STEM education at each step. Students will have the opportunity to explore hardware, software, App Development, 3D modeling & printing and Arduino programming fundamentals. RAS pushes students critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills at various stages throughout the program. No prior experience required.

This semester course teaches students how to plan and build their own designs to achieve a goal. Students work in teams of two and are provided with the tools and materials for hands on, project based learning that tests their intelect and creativity in simple yet demanding projects where there is no single correct answer. Among other projects, students will learn to minimize the effects of friction on a propeller powered toy car; learn how to balance forces while building an index card tower to hold textbooks; and learn the aerodynamics of how to make a paper airplane that makes a sharp left turn after going straight for 50 feet.

Students embark on an extended design project emulating a real-world engineering program, complete with requirement analysis, milestone reviews, schedule management, and a detailed test program prior to fielding a comlplex, physical end-product. Students will benefit from the technical and soft skills acquired during this course for years to come, regardless of the career path they choose. Students interested in applying the thought process of a designer while designing, building, and testing a prototype to meet a customer’s needs are encouraged to take this course. No prior experience required.

In today’s glabal technology network, software is the single common thread tying all disciplines together. All STEM industries, without exception, benefit from the efforts of software developers, engineers, and intergrators daily. This lightening-paced course will introduce students to how corporate software projects are developed, managed, integrated, and fielded. An interface-oriented approach to software development eliminates the need for any prior coding experience. Students will navigate this complex world following a project-based roadmap and leave with a significant sense of accomplishment and key professional skills after creating professional-caliber apps, games, and control algorithms. Program graduates will establish a solid foundationin software developmentprinciples. More importantly, they will gain big-picture understanding of interface management and the engineering process at large. Students interested in understanding how software and hardware affect each other and how software projects are developed in the real world are encouraged to take this course. No prior coding experience required. No prior coding experience required.

The primary objective of the Aviation and Flight Science course is to put high school math and science classes into applied context through the thrilling real-world framework of aviation. The secondary objective is to equip students with key college & career skills including critical thinking, public speaking, task management, and effective teamwork & communication. Through extensive ground school studies and strenuous flight training on highly realistic desktop simulators, graduates of this course will be able to boast a significant portion of the same training civilian and military pilot candidates receive in flight school without leaving the safety of the classroom environment. Students interested in aviation, physiological effects aircraft on the human body, application of physics and math in the real world are encouraged to take this course. No prior experience required.

Through an open-ended and semester-long project, students will be learning “on the job”. They are provided with a framework, deadlines, and then are required to work within their team to execute the entire design life cycle—planning, analysis, design, and implementation. This project focuses on both software and hardware with an emphasis on student autonomy, emulating industry pacticies. The student’s groups are structured as cross-functional engineering teams, which facilitates cohesive and consistent progress throughout the design process. By utilizing a multitude of soft and technical skills and applying them to a real-world problem, this course is an exceptional college resume builder!

The category of aircraft, commonly known as “Drones”, has infiltrated all sectors of business and is a multi-billion-dollar industry without any signs of slowing down. From  transportation to photography, to emergency services, construction, and agriculture, drones are thriving. Drones (much like robotics) are a cross-section of technology, both in hardware and software – adapted for specific uses. Drone
manufacturers, drone pilot training companies, and drone camera systems are all booming businesses. Drone racing has become a professional sport, along with drone pilots producing amazing videos, with high-level skills and accuracy. The possibilities are endless for this new technology, and our young students will certainly encounter drones in their careers. Providing students with this experience in high school will set them up for success in the future. Students learning this emerging technology and skill set to operate drones is an experience that maximizes engagement, provides technical expertise, and supports career-connected learning.

Cybersecurity is becoming a booming industry, with every large corporation putting a major focus on how to handle their company data in a thoughtful and protected way while also allowing their workforce to have flexibility and mobility. Students learning the fundamentals of cybersecurity in high
school will allow them to flourish in a variety of careers both inside security-focused companies and in careers outside of the tech industry. The Cybersecurity program will lay foundational skills in coding and networking and then build into basic skills of encryption, cryptography, and vulnerability analysis.