‘Engineers of Tomorrow’ program setting middle school students up for success

STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) - Choosing your career can be tough. Many school districts start early to help students train and plan for their future.

In Bulloch County, some middle schools got the unique chance this week to see some STEM fields up close.

For hundreds of seventh grade students in Bulloch County, the “Engineers of Tomorrow” program is a chance to learn hands-on that it’s not too early to think about careers.

A plasma cutter worked on patterns that Rylle Mackiewicz picked. She’s getting a first hand look at one of Georgia Southern’s engineering labs. She says this definitely beats a visitor standing in front of her class to talk about STEM careers.

“I get to see what they’re doing. If they’re just talking to me, I can’t really tell if I would enjoy it or not,” said Mackiewicz.

Roughly 300 seventh graders from Bulloch County middle schools get to tour Georgia Southern labs. They’re seeing robotics and a host of other science-related subjects that offer careers. School district leaders say they start early introducing students to the range of jobs available.

“We want our students to have options. We don’t want them peg-holed into one decision because they didn’t have the knowledge or opportunity to know what’s out there and available to them,” said Bethany Gilliam with Bulloch County Schools.

Rylee says she’s still figuring out her future, but she has more to ponder after today.

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