Stem Academy Approved at Combre-Fondel Elementary
Combre-Fondel Elementary has been approved by the Calcasieu Parish School Board for a new STEM program. This is certainly exciting, as this program will prepare children in the community for top-notch careers in science, technology, robotics, engineering, and even math.
Principal Pam Bell expressed how important this is for the community and for the job markets in the twenty-first century, including those that haven t been created yet. Science and technology are the future, and preparing the next generation with a strong foundation is key.
Mrs. Bell tells KPLC a local survey showed 51% of students were interested in participating in a STEM program, but their test scores in these areas of study were low. So, with the approval of a new academy, new building blocks can be laid and students will have what they need to be successful in this incredibly important field.
Joe Porche from Metairie, Louisiana beat out 1,300 contestants with his invention: the
Handle & Haul. He submitted his invention in season one of the
Making It.With Lowe s contest and was one of the three winners. After being struck by a drunk driver, the former physician assistant found picking things up or carrying things difficult. The accident injured his back, neck, and wrists, and those injuries are what inspired his invention.
The Handle & Carry is designed to make it easier to carry heavy things by distributing the weight evenly with a strap underneath and handles. The contest was virtual and Porche stood out among the competition, winning a space on Lowes.com to sell his invention, a mentoring support package, a marketing support package, a business development package, and some major dough: a $50,000 Lowe s Small Business Grant.!
Black Inventors Who Changed The World: Dr. Charles R. Drew
Today, the Red Cross is fighting on the front lines to eradicate the coronavirus, and it was the invention of
Dr. Charles R. Drew that gave the Red Cross a lifesaving technique. Dr. Drew invented the first blood bank in America and Great Britain. Through blood transfusion research, the amazing doctor developed a groundbreaking technique to store blood plasma.
At the start of World War II, Dr. Drew was asked to head the medical program Blood for Britain, which served as the model for the 1941 Red Cross pilot program. Using his technique of long-term blood preservation and storage, or blood banking, he helped save the lives of thousands of allied soldiers.
Black Inventors Who Changed The World: Otis Boykin
burglar proof cash register. Born in Dallas in 1920, the famous inventor was the valedictorian at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, which earned him a scholarship to attend the legendary HBCU Fisk University. He later moved to Chicago and attended the Illinois Institute of Technology. Sadly, he wasn t able to complete his education and was forced to drop out because he couldn t afford tuition.
In spite of this disappointment, Boykin was not deterred and still reached success with an interest in the emerging field of electronics. His work as a lab assistant at Chicago s Majestic Radio and TV Corporation set him on the path of becoming a world famous inventor. In 1959, he patented the