Keri Dowdy

Dowdy’s winning program, “Engineering Einsteins”, is her creative way of engaging nearly 50 fourth-grade students in four specific engineering tasks. They will 1.) Design an effective bird beak to help a model bird meet its needs; 2.) Design a seismograph from everyday items and then test its ability to record a simulated classroom earthquake; 3.) Build a dance pad utilizing electrical circuits that sound a buzzer or flash a light when stepped on; and 4.) Learn how to provide evidence that digital information transmitted and received over distances affects people’s lives. Through the final task, students will learn to understand and analyze math by decoding numbers and letters used in everyday technology items. The students will work individually and cooperatively in groups, ultimately helping them become confident learners. Dowdy, who lives in Farmington, wants the students who go through her program to be productive community members, critical thinkers and lifelong learners.