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D’Amico and Carpenter receive ASEE K-12/University Partnership Award

Susan D’Amico, coordinator of engineering K-12 outreach extension for The Engineering Place (EP) at North Carolina State University, and Cynthia Carpenter, Rocky Mount Middle School science teacher, have received the Middle School K-12/University Partnership Best Practices award from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). The two were recognized for establishing STEM education in Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools.

D’Amico and Carpenter became acquainted when Carpenter began working for EP’s Summer Programs, learning camps that introduce K-12 students to engineering through STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — hands-on activities. Carpenter eventually became coordinator of the summer camp partner program in Rocky Mount.

On her own initiative, Carpenter introduced STEM hands-on activities to members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Nash/Edgecombe Counties. She soon contacted D’Amico and asked her to help develop an after-school program to reach more students in Eastern North Carolina.

“Their partnership has made a huge impact on kids and teachers in that area of North Carolina,” said Dr. Laura Bottomley, director of Women in Engineering at NC State and The Engineering Place.

Bottomley explained that D’Amico and Carpenter have established a successful after-school program in the Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools. They hire teachers to work in the program, and the teachers receive continuing education credits and have the opportunity to learn about engineering and bring it into their classrooms.

The after-school program has been so successful that D’Amico and Carpenter will soon expand it into Wilson County. They also have increased the number of summer camps in Eastern North Carolina. There is one elementary, one middle school and one high school summer camp in Rocky Mount; one middle school summer camp in Havelock; and one middle school summer camp in Wilson at the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf for both hearing and deaf students.

Carpenter presented a report about their efforts at the ASEE Annual Conference in June in Indianapolis, Ind. D’Amico was unable to attend the conference, so Carpenter accepted the award on behalf of them both.