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Our solutions for
Middle and High Schools
What are the learning objectives of the undergraduate STEM programs?
That is a great question.
Thank you!
We believe the objectives are:
Agreed? Now that we are on the same page, let us ask you another question:
Is your current program meeting these objectives?
Let us offer you our vision of the current state of STEM programs at schools around the country.
Core STEM Objectives
Generating Interest in manufacturing technologies
Robotics studies are considered essential and remain at the center of most STEM programs. Learning robotics contributes immensely to the overall development of a child. Not only does it provide the power to improve academic performance, but learning robotics can also significantly enhance problem-solving, creative, and critical thinking skills, encourage teamwork, collaboration, and leadership qualities, boost students’ confidence, and ultimately spark their enthusiasm and interest toward engineering and manufacturing careers.
Most of the popular STEM programs, such as Vex or Lego to name a few, excel in generating initial interest among school students by engaging them in a fun, game-centric learning process, avoiding the pitfall of becoming “boring” or “too difficult”.
However, these programs rarely go beyond the fighting robots competitions and almost never expose their students to real-world industrial robots and automation technologies.
Not being able to truly experience the real world of modern manufacturing, the students are likely to develop inaccurate perceptions of engineering careers and whether they are the right fit for their own future.
Core STEM Objectives
Experiencing modern manufacturing technologies
Core STEM Objectives
Creating pathways to engineering careers
And this is where the current STEM programs seem to fail – they are not equipping the students they managed to get interested and excited in manufacturing technology with the knowledge and skill sets that are relevant to their future careers, regardless of whether their path lies through an engineering program at one of the universities, or takes them directly to the start of the career after finishing their school studies.
The Gap
between industry and STEM education
Operating at the intersection of Education and Manufacturing gives us at GennFlex a unique opportunity to listen and talk to both communities, analyze their needs and pain points, and develop solutions to resolve them.
Industry 4.0
By definition, automation technologies, robotics, close collaboration of human workers and machines, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and interconnectivity are the technologies that separate the current Industry 4.0 from its previous iterations.
Re-shoring of manufacturing, the explosive rate of technology development, and the dynamically growing economy – are just some of the factors that create an ever-increasing demand for highly-skilled workers and engineers with a solid understanding of modern automation technologies, cutting-edge machinery, software programming, and CAD design.
And this is where the growing skills gap is painfully evident: the education system is far behind in supplying the industrial community with the next generations of engineers and skilled workers.
Bridging The Gap
The GennFlex Way
The Missing Link
When reviewing current STEM programs implemented at schools across the country, we were not fortunate to come across programs that would utilize industrial-grade robots, software, and technologies. Some schools would have a couple of robots either donated or purchased through a funding program. However, in most cases, they were not integrated with the core STEM programs and merely served the purpose of a visual representation of the manufacturing equipment.
STEM programs primarily use “lite” equipment and simulation software to approximate the behaviors of real manufacturing machines. While a great option for the beginner learner to grasp the basic concepts of machine operation and control, these programs stop short of exposing the students to the real-world manufacturing environment.
The main negative outcomes of this situation are:
- Fewer students get to experience the exciting world of engineering and therefore do not consider it as part of their future.
- Those few that do pursue engineering careers still have little to no hands-on experience in programming and operating an industrial robot or a machine prior to employment.
In our opinion, this is the reason why so many companies are hard-pressed to find qualified engineers and workers.
Our Approach
GennFlex solutions are designed to provide industry-relevant training in a blended classroom environment, where theoretic instruction is supported by application-driven labs. Our curriculum incorporates exercises, labs, games, and projects that are validated by students using our industrial-grade machines and robots.
Production-gradeOur training programs are built on the most advanced production-grade robots and machines so that there is little to no gap between the knowledge and skill sets gained in training and the experiences required by the industry.
- Industry-Relevant
Through our strategic partnerships with the leading global makers of robotic and automation equipment, we have access to the latest technologies. This ensures our training programs remain industry-relevant in two ways: are based on the latest manufacturing technologies, and allow the shortest time of technology adoption from the OEMs' production lines to our training curriculum. Thus, the knowledge our students gain throughout GennFlex training is immediately applicable to the realities of modern manufacturing.
A Level Playing Field
for all students and schools
STEM educators play a crucial role in designing training programs to make the world a better place — one that is safer, more efficient, and more sustainable — and to develop solutions that benefit the lives of all people. For this to happen, our workforce must be comprised of people from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and personal experiences. The future generation of engineers is coming from all walks of life, and they must have equal and fair access to the most advanced education to succeed in this mission.
Our Training is Accessible
We make our solutions accessible to all school districts regardless of their location, urban or rural, by offering our Mobile Training delivery to the site where the training is requested. No particular power source or equipment is required - our training modules all fit through standard 32" doors and only need a standard 100V outlet and a clean room with common classroom equipment. Each Mobile Training Station fits up to 5 training systems, which in most cases defines the robotics class size of up to 10 students - 2 students per robot for optimal exposure to the technology.
Our Solutions are Affordable
We make our solutions affordable by offering different options for equipment procurement: you can buy, lease or rent our products. Which option is best for you will depend on several factors, such as the duration of the training, enrollment levels, and availability of trained instructors, to name a few. Regardless of the option you choose, rest assured that we will stand by and support you in all aspects related to our solutions, from troubleshooting, and repairs, all the way to obsolescence upgrades.
The Building Blocks of
our Training Solutions
for middle and high schools
INSTRUCTOR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION
Providing STEM instructors the knowledge, hands-on experience, and resources to excel in teaching
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING CURRICULUM
Developed in-house and in partnership with the leading equipment manufacturers
Training Hardware
and teaching aids
EDU packages for robotics, CNC, PLC, Pneumatics, Machine Vision and related classes
Engaging with GennFlex
Our suggested 3-step process
We realize that all schools have unique capabilities and constraints, and therefore there is no cookie-cutter approach to how our solutions should be delivered to your given school or district. We offer our clients a 3-step engagement process that will help untangle most of the complexities in the process.
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Get your staff trained by GennFlex
Assign one or two of your teachers to be trained and certified by GennFlex. We suggest starting with the Introduction To Robot Programming class which is essential to all other programs. This program includes 32 hours of instruction and labs, plus 16 hours of after-program engineering support. Your teachers can complete the entire course at the GennFlex training center in Wheeling, IL, or remotely. The labs will require your teachers to have direct access to the equipment, however. So, either they will need to be at our training center for the hands-on training, or in case the GennFlex equipment was purchased prior to the training, our instructor will guide them through the labs remotely. Once your teachers successfully complete the training, they gain access to the related curriculum and course documentation.
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Plan your STEM Program
Now that your organization has the trained staff and access to the curriculum, you can define the scope of your STEM program to optimally fit the overall organizational strategy. Whether you offer robotics and automation programs as part of your primary STEM curriculum, run optional after-hours classes, or limit your engagement to occasional events, such as Summer STEM Camps, all these options are now within reach. To a large extent, your choice will be driven by the estimated number of students that you plan to engage in the program.
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Define your equipment needs
With the program planning step completed, you are ready to correctly assess your training equipment needs. The number of students, the desired depth of the program, and its length will likely demand optimal equipment choices to be made. Larger programs that are planned to run for several years will likely require the purchase of the equipment that will be permanently located at your facility. Medium-scale programs might be a good case for leasing the equipment. And finally, for short-term programs, you will be better off renting the equipment from GennFlex. We have designed these options to allow maximum flexibility in the development of STEM programs.
This is just a suggested process. If you are interested in starting the dialog with us, please hit the button below. Thank you for your interest and trust in GennFlex!
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