The Engineering pathway courses place an emphasis on the engineering design process, hands-on prototyping, and the application of science, technology, engineering, and math to real-world problems. Students learn to combine technical sketching and documentation with modern engineering software, including Autodesk Inventor, and progress into producing working prototypes using the program's extensive fabrication lab — 3D printers, CNC mills, laser and plasma cutters, an industrial robotic arm, and full woodworking and metalworking equipment. This pathway builds solid communication, comprehension, calculation, problem-solving, and technical skills. There are three courses in the pathway: Foundations of Engineering and Technology, Engineering Concepts, and Engineering Applications. Foundations of Engineering and Technology introduces students to the history, systems, and processes of invention and innovation, giving them their first structured experience with the engineering design process, technical sketching, safety in a STEM workspace, and technology's impact on society. In the second course, Engineering Concepts, students take on more complex technical problems through project-based work, integrating mathematical analysis, scientific principles, and engineering tools — including deeper use of CAD — to design, analyze, and iterate on their solutions. Students in the advanced course, Engineering Applications, apply what they have learned to a capstone project of their own choosing: they conduct market research and cost-benefit analysis, use engineering software and prototype production processes to develop a solution, and present the design, marketing, and business case for their work — preparing them for postsecondary engineering and advanced manufacturing opportunities.
Foundations of Engineering and Technology
1st Year:
Foundations of Engineering and Technology introduces students to the engineering design process and to the history, systems, and processes of invention and innovation. Students develop fundamental technological literacy while building habits of documentation, technical sketching, and safe work in a STEM lab. The standards are aligned with the Georgia DOE CTAE Engineering and Technology pathway, and students are introduced to the Technology Student Association (TSA) as a co-curricular part of the course.
Course Content:
Careers in Engineering, Lab Safety, TSA, Engineering Design Process, Technical Sketching, Measurement and Scales, Orthographic Projection, Isometric Views, Introduction to CAD (Autodesk Inventor), 3D Printing Fundamentals, Engineering Portfolio
Engineering Concepts
2nd Year:
The course is designed to build student skills and knowledge in the field of engineering graphics/technical drafting. The course focus includes employability skills, career opportunities, applied math, working drawings that include sectional, auxiliary, detail and pictorial views, and pattern developments. In addition, elements in applied mathematics are integrated throughout the course.
Course Content:
Advanced Autocad, Inventor, Tolerance, Projected Views, Flatpack Furniture, Drawbridges, Puzzle Cubes
Engineering Applications
3rd Year:
Engineering Applications is the capstone of the pathway. Students carry a self-directed project from problem definition and market research through prototyping, testing, and iteration to a finished, presentable solution. Focus is on employability, engineering and advanced manufacturing career studies, applied math, working and assembly drawings, and the professional communication of a design through drawings, presentations, and a business case. The final capstone project synthesizes the technical, communication, and problem-solving skills mastered across all three courses.
Course Content:
Capstone Project, Reverse Engineering, Advanced CAD (Inventor / Fusion 360), Working and Assembly Drawings, Prototyping with 3D Printing, CNC, Laser and Plasma, Robotics and Automation, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Market Research, Design Presentation, Portfolio Development