Morse, Boone Students Join in Engineering Study

High school and elementary school students generally don't mix, but an innovative program the joins Boone Elementary and Morse High school is helping to train the engineers of tomorrow ... and the day after.

Whether it's completing a tower in 10 minutes or practical application of math, the Morse High MESA (Math, Engineering and Science Achievement) program students and their counterparts in the fifth grade at nearby Boone Elementary are finding it fun to learn some of the subjects that students find most challenging.

"It's fantastic to see these teenagers from Morse working with our fifth graders," said Dr. Mary Cannie, Principal at Boone. "They're a combination of teacher, mentor and brother or sister to our kids."

The two Skyline neighborhood schools partnered on a recent science night at the Boone campus. Projects included building a free-standing tower using two sheets of construction paper and masking tape.. all in ten minutes. In addition to having fun, Boone students were able to see the practical application of math and science in building their towers (some of which toppled over with a slight breeze).

The high school mentors were just as excited about the program. The numbers of high school students interested in serving as mentors is increasing as the word of the partnership spreads across the Morse campus.

The program is under the direction of Morse math teacher Lourdes Sanchez, with the Boone partnership funded through the College Career and Technical Education department's 21st Century grant.

For more information, contact Dr. Cannie at (619) 479-3111.