NAF Engineering Academy

Engineering course description:

The NAF Engineering Academy is a set of STEM courses put together to provide high school students with soft skills, engineering ideals, and help develop responsibilities. There are various projects, field trips, internship and job preparations that the students have access to that prepare them for the working world.

NAF Mission Statement:

The Burbank Unified School District NAF Academy will provide an academic and technology-based program that inspires students to become respectful and successful members of a continually evolving global community. Through high-quality instruction, community service, shadowing experiences, and internships. Students will graduate with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, the workplace, and the world beyond.

Engineering 1:

This STEM course is a basic introduction to engineering for all students. Students who complete this course will learn the concepts necessary in order to develop their ideas into solutions that will improve our lives. Exciting hands-on learning activities like data comparison of heart rates, rating consumer products, destructive testing and building speakers apply math, science, history and English content from other courses in a STEM experience. This course makes science and mathematics more engaging, interesting, concrete, and relevant. The course’s intention and purpose is to educate students in a “main line” method by providing STEM education for everyone. While providing a STEM-based education for all students, those interested in becoming practicing engineers clearly benefit from this course content.

One highlight of the course was the balsa wood bridge project, which is captured in the photo of me working on my design. The goal was to build a bridge strong enough to carry a growing load of weight distributed by a bucket filled with objects until the bridge eventually broke. This project not only demonstrated the importance of structural integrity but also taught valuable critical thinking skills, such as how to make improvements or modifications to strengthen the design. For me, this hands-on challenge was an engaging way to experience the principles of civil engineering and to understand how persistence, problem-solving, and practical application are essential to the engineering field as a whole.

Construction & Design:

This STEM course, Engineering Construction and Design, introduces students to fundamental engineering principles with a focus on practical applications in construction and design. Through engaging, hands-on activities such as designing structural models, analyzing materials, and conducting stress tests, students apply concepts from math, science, and technology to solve real-world engineering challenges. The course promotes critical thinking and collaboration, helping students learn to turn ideas into functional designs. Whether students are exploring engineering as a career or looking to enhance problem-solving skills, this course makes engineering accessible and relevant by connecting classroom knowledge to real-life applications.

One of the key projects in this course was building a wooden jewelry box, which required students to combine mathematical accuracy with craftsmanship. To complete the project, students measured and cut wood to precise dimensions, carefully sanded and glued the pieces together, and then added a personal touch by using a CNC machine to engrave an image of their choice. My box featured a CNC engraving of Rocky, one of my favorite movies, making the project both personal and rewarding. Through this course, I gained not only technical knowledge about construction but also a deeper respect for the detail, safety, and craftsmanship that goes into every project in the trades.

AP Physics :

This physics course is a qualitative and quantitative study of the central concepts of physics, including mechanics, thermodynamics, waves, sound, light, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics. Emphasis will be placed on mental imagery that relates to things and events that are familiar in the everyday environment. Physics concept 65 will be studied with the use of demonstrations, laboratory investigations, multimedia presentations, and student projects. Laboratory work will include some computation.

One of the standout projects in this course was a bridge-building competition that resembled the Engineering 1 project but used wooden skewers instead of balsa wood. Students were tasked with constructing half of a bridge and then calculating the tension, compression, and load distribution within their structure before testing it against others to see which could hold the most weight. Unlike construction or introductory engineering, this project required a greater emphasis on mathematical calculations and theoretical applications rather than just hands-on design. Overall, AP Physics taught me how to approach engineering from a more universal, mathematical perspective, giving me skills that not only apply to engineering but also to many other mathematical and technical skills.

Engineering 2

This advanced engineering STEM course makes a contribution to the curriculum by providing opportunities for students and teachers to link content together and apply it to solve problems. More and more jobs demand advanced skills, requiring people to be able 0to learn, reason, think creatively, make decisions, and solve problems. An understanding of science, technology, engineering and math and their methods contributes in an essential way to these skills. Principles of Engineering is a team-based advanced course designed for most students. The Principles of Engineering courses' intention and purpose is to educate students in a “main line” method by providing STEM education for everyone. While providing a STEM-based education for all students, those interested in becoming practicing engineers clearly benefit from this course content.

One project that stood out this year was the battle robots. This project embarked on collaboration along with percision to assemble a robotic battle machine. Each group was given the freedom to design their own frame to endure the strengths of other robots, which allows for personal ideas to be etwined with other group mates. Through different channels, students are left to decide the controls of their controller, to create the most efficient and comfortable experience. These robots also go through many obstacles courses such as a makeshift course where students carefully direct their robots over a hill and a bumpy floor. This obstacle course allows for students to work on their control skill all the while preparing for the final battle. From the assembly to fighting, each step requires students to collaborate their ideas for a common goal. Overall, this project let all students go through the design and assembly process while allowing their design to be tested to the limit with an epic showdown.

NAF TRACK CERTIFICATION

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