Teacher opens STEM lab to support damaged western schools

WESTERN BUREAU:

With some schools still repairing hurricane-damaged laboratories, electrical technology teacher Kevin Coke has made his STEM laboratory available to students in western Jamaica to complete critical assignments.

Coke created the lab through his company, GENR8 3D Limited, which he founded in 2016 while working at Herbert Morrison Technical High School in Montego Bay. He said that the new facility is open to all persons in western Jamaica who desire to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects.

“We started the Engineering Club at Herbert Morrison in 2016, and then I and some of the students started to do 3D printing there. The youngsters decided to start a business from out of the club at that time, and we have run the club throughout the years,” said Coke.

“We have now officially built a STEM lab, where we will be open to all schools in western Jamaica whose labs have been damaged. I know that there is also a shortage for electrical engineering teachers, so for any school who wants help in that area, our lab will lend itself to assist those schools for students to complete their school-based assessments,” he added.

The lab, which is located at the Bogue Industrial Hub in Montego Bay, is equipped with the latest available technologies and equipment for students doing STEM projects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination levels. Available technologies at the facility include 3D printing and computer numerical control routing.

In addition, GENR8 3D specialises in designing school websites, layouts of maps for individual schools, and crafting evacuation plans for schools.

According to Coke, so far, students from Herbert Morrison and the Montego Bay Community College, whose 0n-site labs were damaged when Hurricane Melissa impacted Jamaica last October, have made use of the STEM laboratory. He said that he has also sent out invitations to other schools across the west to make use of the facility.

“I have already engaged a couple of institutions to work together, as well, because I know that not every high school has a mechanical engineering programme, and so I have approached these schools so they can start their own programmes, and I would facilitate them in the training. The plan is to see how best I can open our facilities so as to expose them to what a modern STEM lab should look like,” added Coke.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com