by Chris Segal, News Herald

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Summer break was shorter than usual for several Bay County teachers who opted for paid internships at local engineering companies to gain knowledge to take back to their students in the fall.

Four teachers participated in four-week internships with local defense contractors ARINC and SAIC. Each company hosted and paid two teachers, giving them firsthand knowledge of what technical skills are necessary to work in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.

Megan Daly, a kindergarten teacher at Patronis Elementary School, not only fielded questions about why she was working at SAIC but also why kindergarteners would benefit from her STEM internship.

“I am enthuastic about STEM education,” Daly said. “The biggest question I get asked is, ‘kindergarten?’ Studies have shown that STEM should start as early as possible to help students develop their attitudes towards STEM endeavors.”

This is the first year that the STEM Institute Council at Florida State University Panama City has used externships for teachers. Program creators have a goal of pushing a STEM curriculum and helping develop a passion for engineering and science with Bay County students.

Daly spent much of her time with the company using her financial background to work on projects and compile spreadsheets of data. Although Daly is a native to Panama City and a former defense contractor employee, she said she learned about new projects going on locally that she otherwise would not be aware of their existence.

“Being able to hear about the next thing is motivating and inspiring,” Daly said. “I push technology and engineering and you can really see the students who can really benefit from a passion in engineering.”

The STEM institute has hosted middle and high school students for the past four years at FSU PC for a STEM camp to encourage students to explore careers in engineering. The need for American born citizens is especially important for defense contractors.

“As employers we are strongly behind this program because these people are training our future employees,” said Mike Plitman, vice president and division manager of the Panama City branch of SAIC. “It’s getting even harder and harder to hire quality technical people and especially hard to do that locally.”

Leon Walters, president of the STEM Institute Council at FSU PC, has been tasked by college leaders to define the future of FSU PC STEM education.

“We wanted to improve institutional staff ability and expose them to engineering so they can take it back to the classroom and really motivate and impress students,” Walters said.

The STEM Institute Council is comprised of local employers including ARINC and SAIC.

“This to me is a Bay County industrial effort,” said Rob Fernandez, of ARINC, who is a former high school teacher. “We have found out as a community that we need engineers in the next 10 years.”

Frank Schwandt, a math teacher from Arnold High School spent four weeks at ARINC rotating between project management, drafting and fabrication.

“I got to see the chain of creating parts and get to see them manufactured,” Schwandt said. “It was basically a real world experience that I can relate back to the kids.”

Schwandt teaches a basic drafting class at Arnold High.

“The main things I already knew was the software,” he said. “I learned about the design process and that clients want things and you put that into making a part. It’s more than just math.”

The STEM Institute provides learning opportunities for students and teachers in the classroom and in industry.

“For a company like SAIC to take teachers like myself in and treat me as one of their own says how important this program is,” Daly said.

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