The Next Generation of Engineers

At the top of the engineering pathway at East Ridge High School (ERHS), students in the Engineering Design and Development course are taking on real-world challenges with the guidance of professional engineers and the skills they’ve built throughout their years in Project Lead The Way (PLTW) engineering courses.

As the capstone course in the PLTW engineering program, Engineering Design and Development (EDD) gives students the opportunity to apply everything they have learned in design, problem-solving, collaboration and innovation. Throughout the school year, student teams work alongside assigned engineers from 3M to identify a problem, research possible solutions, develop prototypes and prepare professional presentations. The experience is designed to mirror the expectations students may encounter in college engineering programs and future careers in STEM fields.

“Engineering is rarely a solo job,” explains PLTW Instructor Dennis Ware. “These students learn how to share ideas, problem-solve together and present their thinking clearly, which are skills they will use long after high school.”

The course is built around three major phases: research, prototyping and presenting. Students are responsible for leading each stage of the process while receiving mentorship and feedback from their 3M engineer volunteers. 

“Having support from the 3M mentors made the experience feel more real and helped us learn from professionals in the field,” says senior Lukas Watson.

At the end of the year, each student group delivers a formal 20-minute presentation and demonstration showcasing their project at the 3M campus in Maplewood. 

“If I’m being honest, I am a little nervous, but also excited,” says senior Akporefe Akporherhe when asked about presenting to a room full of engineers. “We developed our project from what we saw in our school. We want to track food waste in schools and lower carbon emissions.” 

“You are going to be presenting in front of people beyond just this class,” Ware explains to his students. “Engineering is more than just the work. You are going to have to explain your work to people in groups in college, then in your project teams, over and over again – so now is the time to develop these public speaking skills, because you are going to need them.”

The presentation day also serves as a celebration of students’ hard work and dedication. The graduating seniors were presented with orange graduation cords representing their completion of the PLTW engineering pathway. Volunteer engineers from 3M were also honored with certificates of appreciation from South Washington County Schools for the time, expertise and encouragement they provide throughout the year.

“Working with these students is awesome and the future is bright,” says 3M Vice President of Engineering Transformation Eric Opland. “This course allows them to test, try and participate in technical solutions before they graduate and see what engineering is really like.”

Through mentorship, collaboration and hands-on problem solving, students leave the program with valuable skills, professional confidence and a deeper understanding of the possibilities that await them after high school.

“I’m incredibly proud of the dedication these students have shown throughout the year,” says Ware. “The amount of growth we see from the beginning of the project to the final presentations is inspiring.”