INNOVATION CENTER
NEWSLETTER | September 11, 2023 | 1.5
Kera Pruitt is a 2022 Pryor High School graduate that obtained her EMT Certification through a partnership with the Innovation Center and OKEMSTA. She completed her skills training in May of 2022, and passed the National Registry in June of the same year. This November she will have her one-year work anniversary with MESTA, a local EMS company located within the MidAmerica Industrial Park. Her weekly schedule usually consists of 3-24 hours shifts. She is paid time and half for any hours over 40/week and double time for any holidays worked. Kera says, "My job is fun, most of the time. There are times when it is not fun, but that is part of the job." Kera is considering going to college to work on her nursing degree. She says, "This is the perfect job for students in college. MESTA is willing to work around my schedule, and there is a lot of down time that could utilized for studying, actually you would be getting paid to study!"
Kera was on campus to speak to our current EMT students and answer any questions they may have. She says, "It's always good to get a little insight from someone closer to your age. I hope I can inspire the current students to finish their training and sit for the National Registry exam. Once you have the certification, you can work anywhere in the US and currently there is a high demand for first responders."
The Innovation Center will be hosting a First Robotics Kickoff on September 19th at 6:00pm at RSU Pryor Campus. FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition teams design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in a head-to-head competition in an alliance format. Guided by adult coaches and mentors, students develop STEM skills and practice engineering principles, while realizing the value of hard work, innovation, and working as a team.
Students can participate in one or both of these extra curricular Robotics programs. These programs are provided at no cost. First Robotics gives students the opportunity to engage in real world challenges utilizing the concepts they develop in these programs. In addition, High School age participants are eligible to apply for more than $80 million in scholarships from colleges, universities and technical schools. Past alumni have received thousands of dollars in scholarships to area universities, and technical schools. In addition, MCROBO itself has a scholarship program for participants.
The Robotics Education and Competition Foundation along with Google would like to invite you to a Free 2 day Robotics Workshop at The MidAmerica Expo Center in Pryor on Sep 30th & Oct 1st, from 8am to 4pm. This is a unique event where students from 6th to 10th grade will get a hands-on opportunity to dive into STEM by building, programming, and designing a Robot to complete a series of challenges. No experience needed and meals will be provided please check out the link below for more information and to register. Please register fast as the event will get full fast as it is first come first serve.
Registration information is included on the attached flyer, or you can access the link HERE. Space is limited so please encourage interested students to register soon to secure their spot.
The Pryor Aviation and Aeronautics - Level II class, is experimenting with the Magnus effect in aeronautics, using Magnus cones. The Magnus effect characterizes a phenomenon where a rotating object immersed in a flowing fluid sustains a force perpendicular to the line of its rotating motion. The Magnus Effect also plays an important role in sports as the rotation of a ball affects the force that is applied to the ball.
Click on the picture to watch a quick video demonstration.
Tonja Norwood, OKCareerTech STEM Division Manager was on campus for a tour last Wednesday. She had the opportunity to tour all of the programs that we offer at the Innovation Center. Tonja said, "The favorite part of my job is seeing the great things teachers are doing to build the workforce in Oklahoma. Students participating in this program have bright futures, because of the dedication and commitment to each student’s success. Thank you for all you do!"
- Mon Sep 18: Charles Baukal - Oklahoma Baptist University visit - Applied Engineering
- Tue Sep 19: McRobo First Robotics Initial Meeting (6:00pm)
- Wed Sep 20: MidAmerica Cup - Coaching Session
- Wed Sep 20: Northeast Tech Afton - Tango Flight visit
- Fri Sep 22: Professional Skills Series v3: Elevator Pitch
- Fri Sep 22: OKCPS - Innovation Center Facilities Tour
- Mon Sep 25: Brandon Dinsmore & Anna Hearn - OSUIT Visit / Tour
- Fri Sep 29: Tinker Air Force Base - STEM Outreach