Students can use WhiteBox Learning to work through the engineering design process during regional, state, and national intra-curricular competitions
Flinn Scientific, a flagship provider of science lab materials and safety and STEM solutions for the K-16 education market, has partnered with the Texas Technology Student Association (TTSA) to support and expand participation in virtual, intra-curricular student STEM competitions. Through the partnership, new TTSA school chapters can purchase Flinn Scientific’s WhiteBox Learning program at an exclusive rate to be used by students as they compete in regional, state, and national competitions that test their engineering skills. Additionally, new TTSA chapters will receive incentives from TTSA for engaging and exposing STEM students in learning, leadership, and career opportunities.
“Whether in person or remote, WhiteBox Learning allows students to experience the STEM engineering design process in a dynamic and engaging way,” said Michael Lavelle, CEO of Flinn Scientific. “Through our partnership with TTSA, we look forward to supporting its virtual engineering competitions with our technology while helping to grow student participation across the state. This partnership brings together the unique strengths of both of our organizations to extraordinarily advance opportunities for today’s STEM students.”
TTSA is the state affiliate of the national Technology Student Association (TSA) which is a national, non-profit career and technical student organization (CTSO) of middle school and high school students who are engaged in STEM. Since TSA was chartered in 1978, more than 5 million student members have participated in the organization’s competitions, intra-curricular activities, leadership opportunities, community service, and more.
All TSA competitions are aligned with STEM standards, 21st century leadership skills, and the U.S. Department of Education’s National Career Clusters Framework®. TSA competitions are categorized by a number of career pathways and provide TSA members the opportunity to apply technology and engineering skills in challenging and innovative ways as they work either individually or in a team.
“With all of our 70-plus competitions, our goal is to develop the whole student by focusing on 21st century leadership skills, career readiness, and soft skill development,” said Pam Cook, executive director of TTSA. “We are excited to partner with Flinn Scientific to bring WhiteBox Learning to students throughout Texas through the TTSA competitions. Having used the program myself as a classroom teacher, I have seen firsthand how it engages students in various aspects of STEM and know the impact it can have as part of the learning process.”
WhiteBox Learning, which will be used by middle and high school students and TTSA advisors during the virtual competitions and throughout the school year, is a web-based STEM learning system for middle and high school that brings real-world design to the classroom. Using the system, students can access, analyze, and save their designs anytime, anywhere, as well as collaborate with their peers on their design choices. WhiteBox Learning addresses various learning styles and provides all students with an engaging way to gain exposure to engineering design and the STEM career cluster for Career and Technical Education.
All of WhiteBox Learning’s NGSS- and TEKS-aligned applications provide students the opportunity to design and analyze a 3-D model, learn through simulations, and conduct countless design iterations before building the physical model to complete the learning experience. WhiteBox Learning‘s unique ability to allow for unlimited design iterations is a critical process in giving students a real-world experience.
To learn more about WhiteBox Learning and the TTSA partnership, visit www.flinnsci.com/TTSA-WhiteBoxLearning.
About Flinn Scientific
Flinn Scientific supports STEM/STEAM educators in opening young minds to the challenges and joys of scientific discovery and the design thinking process. The leader in science education and lab supplies and safety, Flinn Scientific also provides learning systems and professional development that incorporate differentiated digital experiences with hands-on learning grounded in the real-world to help all students think critically, explore like scientists and engineers, and solve problems creatively so they are ready for college and careers in an increasingly technology-driven world.
About Technology Student Association
The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a national association of students engaged in STEM and the arts. Its membership is over 250,000 students strong spanning 48 U.S. states and includes high school and middle school students. The organization is actively supported by educators, parents, business leaders, and alumni. Since the organization’s charter, student members have been granted opportunities to participate in challenging competitions, leadership training, community service, and more. The diversity of TSA’s activities and membership makes it a positive, rewarding experience for each and every member. All alumni credit TSA with a positive influence on their lives.
