The Alcoa Foundation and Discovery Education, a provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, will celebrate National Manufacturing Day on Oct. 3, 2014, with an interactive virtual field trip.
The Manufacture Your Future LIVE Virtual Field Trip will be hosted from an Alcoa facility as part of Alcoa Foundation and Discovery Education’s overall “Manufacture Your Future” program, which provides middle and high school students with an inside look at careers in advanced manufacturing.
The Manufacture Your Future LIVE Virtual Field Trip will occur at a high-tech aluminum manufacturing facility, which has produced lightweight metal and other materials for every American space vehicle, helping to make many milestones possible, including the first moon landing.
During the Virtual Field Trip, students will have the exclusive opportunity to tour Alcoa’s Davenport facility to see how products for major aircrafts are manufactured, including the wings of Air Force One. The tour will also showcase the company’s new revolutionary Auto Treatment Line, which enables mass production of aluminum for cars—a growing trend in reducing vehicle weight for increased fuel efficiency.
“Giving students the opportunity to look inside a facility makes manufacturing come to life,” said Mark Case, teacher at Southern Guilford High School, Guilford County Schools, N.C. “An event like this creates a stronger impression than getting the information from a textbook. Students can see how information we provide in the classroom translates into a career path.”
“According to The Manufacturing Institute, more than one in seven U.S. private sector jobs depend on the U.S. manufacturing base,” said Esra Ozer, President, Alcoa Foundation. “We are thrilled to showcase several of these jobs, which are held by talented members of Alcoa’s Davenport team — a Metallurgical Engineer, Electrical Engineer and Process Specialist. Their passion and enthusiasm for their manufacturing careers will be inspiring for tomorrow’s workforce.”
In addition to the virtual field trip, Alcoa Foundation and Discovery Education’s Manufacture Your Future program provides middle and high school educators, guidance counselors, students and families with a comprehensive online site that includes hands-on resources to build excitement around post-secondary manufacturing career opportunities.
Manufacture Your Future encourages the development of critical thinking skills through real-world application, offers dynamic standards-based, Science Technology Engineering and Math-focused lesson plans, career guides, family discussion starters and other online resources that provide insight into today’s advanced manufacturing careers and highlight the crucial role that manufacturing plays in day-to-day life. Hope Street Group, The Manufacturing Institute, and SME Education Foundation provided expertise.
For more information about the virtual field trip or Manufacture Your Future’s program and free resources, visit: www.manufactureyourfuture.com [1].