Future engineers of Frederick, unite! INPRO Technologies and Phoenix Mecano recently teamed up for a STEM day that brought students out from Frederick High School for a day of hands-on learning and robotic systems demos at each of these tech-forward local companies.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The acronym has become shorthand for the kind of education that turns out the researchers, engineers, and scientists the world is always in need of, whether that’s business, industry, government, or academia.
LYNX stands for Linking Youth to New Experiences. LYNX is a partnership between Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) and community partners—like INPRO and Phoenix Mecano—that centers on creating individualized plans for high school students that maximize their choices and flexibility in setting and meeting academic and career goals.
INPRO and Phoenix Mecano have a long history of collaboration, with Phoenix Mecano regularly turning to INPRO for its expertise in areas such as machine design, robotics integration, and UV system integration. For this INPRO-hosted STEM Day, after seeing what the engineers at INPRO do all day, the Frederick High School students visited INPRO’s neighbor—Phoenix Mecano—where they toured the production floor and learned more about the company’s manufacturing processes.
According to Rebekah Collogan, Vice President, Engineering at Phoenix Mecano, STEM Days like this are invaluable for high school students, as a way to expose them to the possibilities a career in engineering might hold, and as a way for Phoenix Mecano to connect with the community. “It’s important to introduce kids to manufacturing at a young age because we need new perspectives. We’ve been manufacturing in the same way for generations, and new solutions will have to come from those that have new ideas. That’s why it’s important for us to bring in the younger generation; it grows our community. And when our community is successful, then we can be successful, as well.”
