Honeywell teams up with Mesa schools to promote STEM learning

Honeywell, whose aerospace division is based in Phoenix, has announced a partnership with Mesa Public Schools to help improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education.

The partnership brings Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) employees together with Mesa instructors to spur interest in STEM subjects through five “workstreams” that include seminars, activity spaces, mentorships and more for students across grades, as well as for their parents.

Honeywell Aerospace President and CEO Mike Madsen said the effort is a way to prepare children for the jobs of the future.

“Honeywell employs more than 100,000 people around the globe working to solve some of the world’s toughest problems, so helping foster the next generation of students’ passion for science, technology, engineering and math has always been very important to us,” Madsen said in a statement. “This new partnership with Mesa Public Schools provides a variety of ways for students to work with our team of Futureshapers, and it gives our employees an opportunity to give back and help inspire careers in STEM.”

Here’s how Honeywell describes the five workstreams:

• Parent/career seminars provide awareness of industry opportunities to help parents nurture an interest in STEM careers for their children. A speaker’s bureau supports community outreach efforts to provide information and share their experiences in the STEM industry.
• Thinker Space is a unique, dedicated space at Red Mountain Ranch Elementary built around the idea of design, rapid prototyping and interaction. This interdisciplinary space for grades K-6 can be manipulated to accommodate projects or activities the teachers need to help invoke design thinking. Additional elementary schools will add Thinker Spaces in the future.
• Project Mentors support students as they engage in capstone projects (at the high school level) that enrich learning and enhance social networks. Honeywell employees assist in the identification, management and scope of capstone projects, and provide feedback and evaluation of near-completed projects prior to presentation.
• A STEM Advisory Committee helps students have the best possible opportunities to land jobs in STEM-related industries. This group helps identify curriculum alignment opportunities, lead Honeywell involvement in STEM events at the various schools across MPS and provide Honeywell tours for MPS students. Most notably, this team supports all the other workstreams to scale and grow this broader effort to help build community support throughout the feeder pattern of schools.
• The Graduation-Plus Model focuses on providing opportunities for all MPS students to build a portfolio of work that ensures they are truly college, career and community ready. This includes summer intern opportunities at Honeywell​.

Mesa Public Schools Superintendent Andi Fourlis called the partnership a “bright spot” in the district that gives students and teachers close-up exposure to STEM careers.