 
Last year, some of us from Underground had the
opportunity to visit the Engineering Academy at Oakland Technical High School
in Oakland, CA. Expecting to be greeted with a traditional classroom, we
instead walked into a large room equipped with modern computers along with
conventional drafting tables. The walls were covered with drawings produced
by the students, most decorated with ribbons won at county and state fairs.
The drawings were produced by hand and by computer aided drafting, in two
and three dimensions. The physics problems on the blackboards were the force
diagrams from our college days. It was an impressive display!
The program is not limited to drafting; it includes advanced algebra,
geometry, chemistry, and physics. The combination of rigorous engineering-related
curriculum, hands-on involvement, a high level of student motivation and
teamwork, makes the Engineering Academy a true success story in the public
school system. The vast majority of its graduates go on to attend four-year
colleges and universities, including Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia,
and UC Berkeley.
Originally launched in the 1980ís, the program owes much of its
success to the dedication of its director, Parker Merrill. His passion for
the program and his commitment to the students is evident. Working long
hours to help the students get final projects ready to submit for statewide
competitions, Mr. Merrill is rewarded, not just by the multitude of award
ribbons, but by the respect and gratitude of his students.
Much of the funding for the Engineering Academy has come from outside
grants, including a large donation from the Bechtel Corporation. Upon hearing
that the balance of the funding was diminishing, we asked what the Academy
needed most. Without hesitation, Merrill described the aging printer that
was being used to produce the drawings. As well as being slow, the print
quality was poor, it was unreliable, and hindered the student's ability
to print quality products for competitions.
As contractors, we are used to solving problems; the solution to this
one was clear. Underground donated the funds to buy a new, state-of-the-art
plotter for the Academy. To quote from Merrill, "This year, the quality
was astounding - by far the best looking prints this academy has ever seen.
Print times were shorter, and the plotter is reliable, resulting in a much
more efficient use of our time."
The graduates of the Engineering Academy are our industry's future contractors
and engineers. Underground Construction Co., Inc. is proud to be a supporter
of such an outstanding program. |
