WORDS & PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
As a 5th Grader at Prine Elementary, Elyan Rivera is described by his teachers as an all-around amazing kid! As a member of the Technology Student Association (TSA), Elyan is excelling and, in his words, is “really having a lot of fun with it!”
“I really enjoy the problem-solving part of technology,” said Elyan. “It’s really entertaining, and I think I’m really good at it. I want to use the stuff I’m learning in technology to build things. My Dad is teaching me a lot about all that kind of stuff. It all started with Lego sets when I was little (he’s 11 years old… that made me chuckle).”
Elyan’s mom, Suzie Rivera, describes him as quiet, smart, creative, and kind of shy. “He is the only boy in a house with three sisters, so that may contribute to his being quiet. This is his second year in TSA, and he is doing great and really loving it. He’s like a sponge and very eager to learn.”
When Elyan’s teacher, Ms. Lauren Crosby, was asked if she had any students who stood out this year and would be a great kid to highlight in an issue of NEXTGEN Family Magazine, she immediately knew who to nominate.
“Elyan Rivera is the kind of kid a teacher dreams of having in a classroom,” said Ms. Crosby. “He is witty, smart, quiet, and funny. He loves math and asks questions to understand why. He often has a toy in his hand, which is one of the things about him that makes me smile the most; he is truly a really great kid!”
TSA is a Department of Education initiative whose mission is to encourage and enhance a technology education program, build confidence, provide extra-curricular activities, and foster student leadership skills. It encourages career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), whereby members apply and integrate these concepts through intra-curricular activities, competitions, and related activities.
The TSA accelerates student achievement and supports teachers by providing engaging opportunities to develop STEM skills. As a student organization of 300,000 middle and high school technology and engineering students, TSA provides its members the opportunity to explore a wide variety of STEM career interest areas. All TSA competitions — more than 70 middle and high school events combined — are correlated with national STEM standards to enhance the STEM curriculum. Since 1978, more than four million students have participated in TSA.
The School District of Manatee County (SDMC) has a unique and competitive STEM program in K-12, and our students and teachers have earned a well-deserved reputation for being Superstars when it comes to STEM competitions and education.
The SDMC’s STEM programs offer students the ability to learn coding skills, engage in robotics, solve real-world problems, and acquire computer technology skills.
Competitions are an essential component of the STEM program and provide numerous benefits to students, such as improving teamwork and collaboration, supporting a growth mindset, and improving data analysis. Additionally, competitions assist in developing problem-solving skills and building confidence while getting students motivated and engaged.
STEM education further builds resilience, encourages experimentation, and promotes (scholastic or academic) risk-taking. These are skills our students will use in their careers and will give them the upper hand in today’s increasingly technology-centered world.
The SDMC enthusiastically supports students in their competitive endeavors and aims to broaden opportunities for the future.
“I think it is so important to have STEM in our schools,” said STEM teacher Sara Broom. “It allows students the opportunity to explore their thinking and their ability to problem solve across content areas. STEM combines all that they are learning in science, math, social studies, art, etc., while still allowing them the creativity to do it their way. We are preparing them to explore skills for careers that may not even exist yet.”
Ms. Broom also runs the TSA STEM Club after school enrichment program that Elyan is enrolled in. The program focuses on STEM education with project-based learning experiences. All TSA students could have the opportunity to participate in districtwide competitions that will showcase projects and skills learned.
Ms. Broom describes Elyan as a hard worker, a big thinker, someone who loves to solve problems, and someone exceptionally good at working in a team while also being a good leader.
Earlier this year, Elyan competed in a TSA Competition and took first place in the Vex IQ-Robot competition.
The mission of the VEX IQ Robotics Competition, which is presented by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, provides elementary and middle school students with exciting, open-ended robotics and research project challenges that enhance their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills through hands-on, student-centered learning.
Students from across Manatee County were tasked to build their best robot to compete in an annual game that changes every year. This year was Vex IQ- Full volume. During the competition, each team competes with teams from other schools through multiple rounds in an effort to gain the most points together. Each round is a lottery in which who the teams compete with. The top 10 scoring teams then compete in a final round to determine a winner.
Next up for Elyan is the Water Tower competition. The objective of the competition is to make participants aware of the importance of reliable drinking water and the rewarding opportunities available in the water profession. The competition meets this objective by having students develop an idea for a functioning water tower, just like what water professionals do in the real world. Judging is based on structural score, hydraulic efficiency, cost efficiency, and design ingenuity.
Elyan and a fellow TSA member had seven weeks to design, plan, and build their personal water tower. Together, they decided on an ATM machine as the vessel to hold their tower. (Admittedly, Elyan tried to explain how it worked, but science was never my strong point). Approximately 80 teams from across Manatee County Elementary Schools will be participating. Good luck, Elyan!
Elyan isn’t sure what he wants to be when he grows up, but it’s very clear that STEM, TSA, his family, and his teachers will have a large impact on that decision!
