Lexington Park, MD – STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education continues to be the buzzword for today’s educators, students and parents. With ever-mounting pressure to have our children excel in STEM-related studies, parents are constantly seeking out resources designed to give their little angels a leg up.
One such program is the Southern Maryland Math Circle; an initiative founded by Dr. David Kung, a math professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and sponsored by RED-INC, a local research, engineering and development company. The math circle is designed to get students excited about mathematics by providing them with a setting that encourages exploration of non-standard mathematical problems rarely taught in standard curriculum.
The Math Circle kicked off 2015-2016 season on Saturday, September 12, at the Lexington Park Library, with a session led by Professor Casey Douglas. This session was designed to explore concepts used in engineering fields to determine area and distance. Using a surprising connection between soap bubbles, efficient roadways, and building blocks, students determined how best to connect four cities by placing a variety of shapes (made from wire) in a bucket of soapy water and seeing what happened. They also investigated a Lego-block version of an ancient mathematical problem, one that nature solves with soap bubbles.
Dave Aldrich, Chief Executive Officer of RED-INC and sponsor of the Math Circle program, sees great value in these types of educational outreach programs. According to Mr. Aldrich, “These programs are so beneficial to our students, providing a unique experience to explore new concepts and apply critical thinking skills. RED-INC is committed to supporting educational initiatives and we’re happy to be involved in the Math Circle program”
TPP member RED-INC is a local company providing top level Research, Engineering, and Development services for military weapons systems and warfighter solutions. Founded in 1998, RED-INC has provided considerable expertise in Human Systems Integration (HSI) and has supported nearly every aircraft platform program in the Navy’s inventory, as well as many Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) programs.
The Patuxent Partnership works with government, industry and academia on initiatives in science and technology, hosts programs of interest to NAVAIR and the broader DoD community, and supports workforce development including education initiatives and professional development. Visit www.paxpartnership.org or call 301-866-1739.
