As The Infinity Project continues its expansion across the country, we find that high schools are making significant changes to the way they are structured. More and more schools are moving to smaller learning communities or academy structures with a focus on engineering, math, science, and technology. This change is happening in both public and private schools. Change for the sake of change is questionable, but change for the sake of equipping students with the skills they need to succeed in a global economy is fantastic!

I applaud the visionaries that have taken a look at what the future holds and decided to do what is necessary to increase student achievement in math and science and build the technology leaders of the future. We have all seen or heard the statistics reporting that U.S. student interest in engineering has significantly declined since the early 1980’s. We have also heard how China and India produce nearly five times as many engineers as the U.S. But have you heard how the addition of a pre-engineering curriculum, with hands-on applications and direct links between math and science to the technologies students use everyday, can change things?

Well, many of you have and are implementing The Infinity Project in your schools to stop the downward trend. We started the year with 160 certified Infinity schools in 26 states and will end with 211 certified schools in 33 states. Now that’s what we call change in the right direction!

As this school year comes to a close, we look forward to the new opportunities that lay ahead to enhance the engineering, math, science, and technology education of all students – for the times they are a-changin!

Dean Geoffrey Orsak Named Educator of the Year in Engineering and Science

We are proud to announce that Geoffrey C. Orsak, dean of the Southern Methodist University School of Engineering and executive director of the Institute for Engineering Education at SMU, is the first-ever recipient of the EE Times ACE Award for Educator of the Year. The award was presented at the ACE Awards Gala on April 4, 2006, as part of the Embedded Systems Conference in Silicon Valley.

The EE Times ACE Awards honors those who are leading the way and making positive contributions – the real innovators of technology. The Educator the Year award recognizes an individual who brings leadership, creativity, and inspiration to students in an engineering or science curriculum in college or secondary schools.

Geoffrey C. Orsak has served as a member of a number of distinguished national and state boards focused on improving engineering education including the IEEE Education Activities Board and the executive committee of the Texas Engineering and Technical Consortium. Orsak founded the Institute for Engineering Education, one of the first nationally funded entities to support the advancement of engineering education from kindergarten through graduate school. In this role, he created a number of award-winning programs, including The Infinity Project.

"There is simply no doubt that the future of our technology-based industries depends directly upon our ability to develop the most talented and innovative engineers in the world. Through this distinguished award, EE Times is recognizing the crucial importance of high-quality engineering and science education to our industry,” said Orsak. “On behalf of the thousands of educators across this country working hard every day, I am truly humbled and honored to receive this very special recognition."

“Geoffrey C. Orsak is a true pioneer and visionary for the development of technical education among students across America,” said Brian Fuller, publisher and editor-in-chief, EE Times. “We are proud to select him as the first-ever recipient of the EE Times ACE Award for Educator of the Year. His accomplishments set the standard for all future winners.”

Schools Taking Advantage of Grant Opportunity!

Several schools in TEA Region IV are taking advantage of the Houston Endowment Matching Grant Opportunity to implement The Infinity Project.

Since its inception, schools from the following districts have applied for $3,000 in matching funds to introduce this state-of-the-art engineering curriculum into their classroom.

Approved by the Texas Education Agency, The Infinity Project curriculum directly links math and science concepts to technologies students use every day – digital cameras, electronic music players, cell phones, and the internet. The full year course allows students to design and build new technologies while reinforcing critical math and science skills.

The Houston Endowment gift provides professional development for teachers and technology kits for the classroom. If you are a Region IV Houston area school and want to take advantage of this special grant opportunity, please contact Dianna Rey, Director of Academic Relations, at 214-768-1920 or drey@infinity-project.org. Applications are still being accepted for the 2006/2007 school year!

Professional Development Training

Make plans now to attend one of the Infinity Professional Development Institutes. Each summer teachers attend week long sessions at various university locations to become certified Infinity instructors. Training is conducted by Master Infinity Instructors who provide comprehensive hands-on instruction in using the text, hardware, and software associated with the curriculum.

Each course costs $750 to attend and includes the following instructional materials:

• Textbook “Engineering Our Digital Future”
• Instructor’s Manual with answers to FAQ’s, homework solutions, sample test questions
• Student Lab Manual with several exciting activities and step-by-step instructions
• Daily Lesson Plan Guide
• Instructor’s Chapter Lecture prepared in PowerPoint

Refresher training is also available, Tuesday through Thursday, for current Infinity instructors at a reduced rate of $450.

Instructors will receive 35 hours of professional development credit for attending, and have the opportunity to network and share ideas with fellow teachers. To register for a session of your choice, contact the Infinity staff at 214-768-4038 or visit our website at http://www.infinity-project.org/edu/edu_prodev.html.

Spreading The News

The Infinity staff has been on the road spreading the news about the program to over 30,000 Math, Science, and Technology Educators at national conferences. The reception and interest in the curriculum from teachers across the country has been outstanding!

Participants enjoyed exhibits and presentations by Infinity staff and instructors at the following conferences:

Texas Computer Education Association
Austin, Texas, February 6 – 10, 2006
Engineering Education for Today’s Classroom
Rosemary Aguilar, Infinity Director of Professional Development & Curriculum

Teachers Teaching with Technology
Denver, Colorado, February 24 – 26, 2006
The Infinity Project: An Introduction to Digital Engineering
Cheryl Mahon, Infinity Instructor, Colorado Springs Christian High School
The Infinity Project: Math+Science+Technology = Cool Things
Aurelia Weil, Master Infinity Instructor, Cor Jesu Academy

National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of
Mathematics, Science & Technology
San Antonio, Texas, March 17, 2006
Engineering Education for Today’s Classroom
Rosemary Aguilar, Infinity Director of Professional Development & Curriculum

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
St. Louis, Missouri, April 26 – 29, 2006
The Infinity Project: Math+Science+Technology = Cool Things
Aurelia Weil, Master Infinity Instructor, Cor Jesu Academy

Upcoming conferences and presentations for the balance of 2006 include:

American Society for Engineering Education
Chicago, Illinois, June 17 – 21, 2006

Conference for Advancement of Mathematics Teaching
Houston, Texas, July 20 – 22, 2006

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics – Regional Conference
Chicago, Illinois, September 20 – 22, 2006
Phoenix, Arizona, October 5 – 7, 2006
Atlantic City, New Jersey, October 19 – 21, 2006

National Science Teachers Association – Regional Conference
Baltimore, Maryland, November 2 – 4, 2006

We hope to see you at one of these conferences. If you miss us and would like more information about The Infinity Project, visit our website at www.infinity-project.org or message us at ipmail@infinity-project.org.