By: Meg Townsend, The Dallas Morning News | Read it >
A new mobile learning pod called a Breakout Box is traveling across North Texas on a mission to introduce high school students to STEM-related careers within one of the nation’s fastest growing industries: manufacturing. In fact, experts predict that by the time these students enter the workforce, the industry will have added as many as 3.8 million new jobs in fields such as engineering, software development, logistics and many more.
The Breakout Box isn’t a traditional classroom — it’s an immersive experience. Inside, students work together as a team to complete the “Manufacturing Mission,” building crucial problem-solving skills while completing such tasks as safety, inventory management, scheduling and quality control. Developed through a grant from the Caterpillar Foundation to education nonprofit Learning Undefeated, the box provides in-depth, interactive learning and offers students a glimpse into the industry’s many career opportunities. Schools can request the award-winning Breakout Box visit their campus as part of the Learning Undefeated Manufacture Your Path program. In addition to the box, the program provides classroom activity kits and lesson plans to further explore manufacturing topics, and all participants gain access to a careers portal with more information and resources about events, internships and more.
Breakout Box: Manufacturing Challenge was made possible in part by a $1.2 million grant from the Caterpillar Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of global manufacturing company Caterpillar Inc. This funding enabled Learning Undefeated to create this first-of-its-kind challenge, outfitted with immersive effects and high-tech tools for interactive gameplay, in order to supplement the Manufacture Your Path program.
The goal of the program is to teach students workforce-relevant skills and to give them a chance to explore potential career paths before they experience the pressures of choosing a college or vocational school at the end of high school. And this introduction to the manufacturing field could help children prosper in the future, as the field is rapidly growing.
“We are working to introduce students to these high-paying, high-demand jobs that are waiting for them now in their hometown,” says Jennifer Colvin, Learning Undefeated chief innovation officer. “We want them to know that this is a viable pathway for them in which they can earn a living, family wage.”
Learning Undefeated collaborated closely with industry experts and academia to devise the curriculum for the Breakout Box. A thorough landscape analysis was conducted to identify gaps in K-12 manufacturing education, including focus groups of both students and educators, as well as experts from other manufacturing companies.
Asha Varghese, president of the Caterpillar Foundation, notes that the analysis revealed a sore lack of manufacturing education for middle and high school students. “The mission is really to create a STEM experience that will positively impact the lives of students at a very early stage, where we can provide them with awareness to STEM careers and hands-on training,” says Varghese.
The Caterpillar Foundation generally focuses its philanthropic efforts on communities where Caterpillar Inc. employees live and work. One way in which the Caterpillar Foundation is helping build strong, resilient community infrastructure is by strengthening the workforce of the 21st century, ensuring the next generation of talent has the skills and access they need to thrive as they enter the workforce. This includes ensuring students have access to high quality learning opportunities that offer the skill sets they need for 21st century jobs. In addition to its work with Learning Undefeated, Caterpillar Foundation also funds programs that provide manufacturing training for educators, so they can stay up to date on emerging trends and technologies in the field and can convey new ideas to their students.
Breakout Box: Manufacturing Mission was unveiled in January at Ranchview High School in Irving, where more than 300 students entered the immersive environment and completed the mission.
“The Breakout Box was an incredible experience for our students,” says Ranchview Principal Kara Miller. “It brought manufacturing concepts to life in a way that truly captivated them. The theme fostered problem-solving skills and teamwork, which made learning fun and engaging!”
The Manufacture Your Path Breakout Box will travel out of state this spring before returning to Texas to visit more schools. Visit the Caterpillar Foundation website to learn more about its mission.
