Ortonville, Michigan, Wednesday, April 22, 2013 -- The Brandon Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Pathways Academy attended the Michigan Department of Transportation’s State Bridge Building Challenge on Tuesday, April 16, 2013. Brandon High School was represented by twenty-one students on seven teams in the ninth and tenth grade division. The 2013 challenge, students were to give a seven to ten minute presentation to MDOT Civil Engineers as well as design and build a bascule bridge which was tested for its strength to weight ratio. Students from the Academy were able to bring home 3rd and 4th place finishes in the Bascule Bridge Challenge. Finishing in Fourth place was Team Duke consisting of students Mackenzie Bolton, Hannah Sample, and Andrew Hayduk. Coming in 3rd Place was Team SSR consisting of students Sara Heines, Sandra Peters and Randi Jannette. Over 400 teams from all over the state of Michigan participated in the challenge this year in Lansing at the Lansing Center. This is the fourth year the Academy has participated in the competition and looks forward to sending more successful teams in the future.

The Brandon STEM pathways Academy is a highly focused program that begins in ninth grade at Brandon High School. The program is for learners who are highly motivated and are looking to enter careers in areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM is key to today's global economy. In order for America to compete in today's world market, learners must be prepared to enter the workforce with the necessary skills to compete for tomorrow's jobs. Learners must be able to think critically and able to solve problems that haven't even been discussed today.

Ortonville, Michigan, Monday, March 11, 2013 -- The Brandon Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Pathways Academy students competed in the 46th Annual Math Field Day at the University of Michigan – Flint on Friday, March 8. The academy competed in the medium school division with Detroit Catholic Central, Dewitt, East Grand Rapids, Goodrich, Houghton, Okemos, Swartz Creek, and Grand Rapids Catholic. The Brandon STEM Pathways Academy took five of their brightest math students to compete in five events, Chalk Talk, Leapfrog, Mad Hatter A, Mad Hatter B, and the Team Essay. Brandon STEM Pathways Academy was able to bring home a 1st place in the Leapfrog Event. The Leapfrog Event calls for the ability to work with a partner to solve challenging mathematical problems. Problems were chosen from all high school subjects in mathematics, and some required original thinking. The two designated students from each team work together in one 50-minute session. A set of eight questions was provided. The team members decide how to organize their time and effort. They were able to communicate very quietly and could check each other's work. Problems are graded either right or wrong, with no partial credit given. Representing Brandon for Math Field Day were James French, Nathan Zimmerman, Erik Boyle, Justin Ritenburgh and Sullivan Tomich. The two person team winning the Leapfrog event was Nathan Zimmerman and Justin Ritenburgh. This is the second year the Academy has competed in the competition and the second event won by students in the academy.

Ortonville, Michigan, Monday, March 4, 2013 – On Saturday, March 2,2013, the Truck Town Thunder Robotics, FIRST Robotics Team 68, exhibited tremendous professionalism at the Kettering FIRST Robotics District Competition. The team was able to make it to the Semi-Finals with FRC Teams 302, The Dragons from Lake Orion High School and FRC Team 3421, Tachyon TECs from St. Clair County Technical Education Center. At the end of the day, the team was recognized with the Underwriters Laboratories Industrial Safety Award as well as bringing home the coveted District Chairman’s Award. The Chairman's Award is the most prestigious award a team can win at a regional or at the championship, more so than even winning the competition itself. Demonstrating the prestige of the award, a team that wins a Regional Chairman's Award receives a reserved spot at the state championship event so that they may compete for the State Championship Chairman's award, regardless of their on-field performance. The Chairman's award was created to recognize teams that demonstrate the greatest commitment to spreading passion about science and technology into their communities and schools. Submission involves writing an essay of no more than 10,000 characters documenting the team's efforts at spreading the message of FIRST, a five-minute presentation to a panel of judges, followed by a five-minute Q&A session for the judge and a three-minute video. Also being recognized at the competition were the teams Dean’s list Nominees, Juniors Chloe Gregory-Pendley and Caroline Kane. Team mentor, Chris Boyle, was also nominated for the Woodie Flowers award. Nominees for the Dean’s list and Woodie Flowers Awards will be competing at the State Championship in Ypsilanti April 11-13, 2013.

Brandon STEM Pathways Academy Design and Technological Studies Teacher, Andrew Spiece, is nominated for Oakland County Teacher of the week. The Brandon STEM Pathways Academy is proud to have great teachers in the program.

Ortonville, Michigan, March 15, 2012 - Ninth and Tenth graders from the Brandon STEM Pathways Academy began the challenge of qualifying for the Michigan Department of Transportation Bridge Competition in November. Eighteen students will be representing both the academy and Brandon High School in Lansing, Michigan, on April 30 at the Lansing Center. Students were given the challenge of creating a design portfolio to gain acceptance to the competition where the students will bring their constructed drawbridge to compete against team from all over the state of Michigan. Students will be judged based on their strength to weight ratio of their bridge as well as give a presentation to Michigan Department of Transportation engineers. Students are competing in teams of three in the 9th and 10th grade division.  Good luck to our Blackhawks as they take on such an epic engineering challenge.

Michigan Department of Transportation TRAC Bridge Competition