Students take the ice at STEM Day with the Columbus Blue Jackets

On Tuesday, December 11, TRECA Digital Academy students attended STEM Day with the Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ) at Nationwide Arena.

The event included breakout sessions with industry leaders, a Q&A with a speaker panel, and an on-ice skate. In the first breakout session, students heard from IT Professionals at IGS. They taught students about design thinking, its processes, and why it’s important. In the second breakout session, a pharmacist from Ohio Health spoke with students about the exploration process of developing pharmacy vending machines for hospitals. He also talked about the methods they use to roll out a new product: do it, test, test-communicate, and go live. After the breakouts, students heard from a panel of speakers that included the emcee for the CBJ, a graphic design artist from COSI, a pharmacist from Ohio Health, the CBJ facilities engineer, and an engineer from IGS. The speakers shared with students the ins and outs of their position and career field and the education they needed to be successful.

At the end of the event, students had the opportunity to tour Nationwide Arena and skate on the main ice - the same ice the Blue Jackets play on! As an added perk, students were invited back to the evening’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. Thank you to the Columbus Blue Jackets for hosting a great event and making learning relevant!