Technology Students Association at West Grand by Mykaela A.Jones
The first thing that a lot of people think of when they hear the word TSA is the airport security you see when you are going to your airplane.
know that pesky thing that was installed to keep airport goers safe and make sure flights leave and arrive smoothly? That is what people think when they hear the word TSA, and that is typically the reaction that the members of the Technology Students Association of West Grand High School get when they mention that they are involved with this program. That is what TSA actually stands for in this context.
Fun fact, the Technology Student Association is actually a lot older than the Transportation Security Administration. It was founded in 1978 in Reston, Virginia and was created for the sole purpose of teaching its chapter members the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) as well as business and leadership skills. TSA, much like the audiences TSA caters to, is constantly evolving and at a very rapid rate.
In the three years that TSA has been at West Grand High School, it has been gaining traction slowly but surely as those involved with the club try their hands and skills in different areas of technology that FLL and Robotics may not be able to touch upon.
In TSA, students can participate in debate, filmmaking, technology bowl, fashion design, underwater ROV, and many other exciting and highly educational competitions that teach students the importance of teamwork, individual character, and leadership skills. TSA is also beneficial for kids who are not highly involved with technology, as it can help them dip their toes into the world of STEM and business, which will benefit students as they venture off into the world after high school and maybe even college.
If you really sit down to think about it, STEM is involved in all career fields even if that field does not center on science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. The skills that can be learned from being involved with TSA (and what it strives to teach) include resume building, problem solving, and community involvement with STEM.
The program also teaches students the importance of community service, professional development, employment and internship, competition and demonstration, and public relations. These skills can and will most likely be applied in the lives of every person in society and TSA is the perfect club to be involved with as the benefits of being involved with it are, for lack of a better term, endless. Lori Birch, of West Grand High School, has been the head of many of the technology based classes and clubs at the school since she started here in Kremmling and decided to start up the TSA chapter back in the fall of 2015.
The TSA of West Grand has many new and exciting things happening very soon and those involved are very eager and excited to get started on them.
The competition for TSA is underway and in the meantime the club has been fundraising for the club, some of those activities included a Yankee Candle fundraiser, many hours concessions at sporting events, and a baked good sale at the annual Christmas tree lighting in the town square.
The kids involved with TSA as of now are currently working on several projects, including fashion design, underwater ROV, computer programing, and many more exciting things that are not only interesting learning experiences, but also have entertaining end results.
The TSA state conference for Colorado will take place February 22 at the Marriott Denver Tech Center.
