Promoting student interest in science, technology, engineering and math

When Stephen Susalka went searching for mentors last year to coach 9-to 14-year-olds for a robotics initiative that culminated with a competition last December, he found a lot of support from co-workers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

The goal behind the initiative, tied to the international FIRST LEGO League Robotics tournament, is promoting science, technology, engineering and math knowledge and learning as possible careers for students.

“I work closely with the chamber, and one of the things we recognized is we’re not turning out enough STEM-interested students. And you lose them at middle school,” Susalka says. “So we wanted to provide a STEM learning experience that would engage those students.” Read more.