Livingston Teacher Recharges At NJIT

Hundreds of youngsters from New Jersey, including two from Livingston, who enrolled in five-week summer science programs at NJIT for middle and elementary school kids recently completed an assortment of hands-on, exciting science projects.  Those projects encompassed areas from building space stations to tie-dyeing t-shirts. 

Classes for FEMME, a program for 109 girls (ages 8 through 15) which is now in its 30th year, ended  with the completion of science projects encompassing areas from physics principles to tie-dyeing t-shirts.   Experienced science and technology teachers, among them Ken Zushma from Heritage Middle School, taught lessons designed to inspire students to seek science careers.

Zushma taught at NJIT's Center for Pre-College Programs as the Aeronautical Engineering (AEP) and FEMME 5 (the all-female version of the class).  The class was an exploration of aeronautics from the history of powered flight, though modern day space exploration.  Students designed and built gliders, powered airplanes,  jet powered cars, solid fuel rockets as well as model space stations.  He explained that, “All projects are student built.  Students have two hours of engineering class per day. Most days begin with a lecture, then lab work.  Students use modeling materials such as balsa wood, foam core and recycled materials to build projects.” 

He became involved with NJIT when personnel from the New Jersey Technology Education Association reached out to him.  Since he already had a job for the summer, he referred wife Elizabeth, a chemistry teacher at Northern Highland Regional High School in Allendale, for the job and subsequently joined the program the following summer. 

Zushma said he enjoys teaching over the summer at NJIT.  “ It gives me a chance to teach a different type of class, being a two hour lab, and it gives me a chance to interact with students from different parts of the state.  Also, the chance to teach younger students is professionally recharging.  Having taught at Livingston High School and at Heritage, 5th grade students are very different.  It gives me a chance to truly focus on how I present information to students and helps me hone my skills for September at Heritage.”

“FEMME overcomes the perennial gender gap in math, science and engineering,” said Suzanne Berliner-Heyman, Program Director. "Studies show that girls fall behind boys in math and science once they hit middle and high schools.  It redresses the problem by making difficult math and science concepts relevant, memorable and fun.”  

For more information on FEMME, log ontowww.njit.edu/precollege/studentprograms/summer_programs_FEMME.php