Tales from Hardware Park: High School students at the intersection of STEM and MedTech

<p>From inhaler watches to redesigned crutches: How a unique summer program in Birmingham is pushing boundaries in STEM education.</p> <p>This episode of TFIC explores the MedTech Device Experience program in Birmingham, Ala., and previews an upcoming documentary on how the unique summer program is pushing boundaries in STEM education for high school students from diverse backgrounds. The program’s director, Mark Conner, discusses how the program introduces students to design methodology for developing medical devices that solve real problems.</p> <h4 id="enhancement-1bfbda50-738c-11ee-a4d5-9d0deb1940ad" class= "rte2-style-brightspot-core-rte-heading-HeadingH4RichTextElement"> SHOW NOTES</h4> <p>Here are the top 10 takeaways from this episode:</p> <ol class="rte2-style-ol" start="1"> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div"><strong class= "rte2-style-bold">Deep Dive into Prototyping:</strong> The MedTech Design Experience brings together students from varied backgrounds who are paired with expert instructors for hands-on training in prototyping advanced medical devices during a two-week summer program in Birmingham.</li> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div"><strong class= "rte2-style-bold">Applied Innovation:</strong> Students are challenged to innovate medical prototypes that address real-world problems.</li> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div"><strong class= "rte2-style-bold">Academic Inspiration:</strong> Collaboration with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) inspired the program; students are taught to visualize ideas and apply new information effectively.</li> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div"><strong class= "rte2-style-bold">Imagining the Future, and Then Building It:</strong> Graduates came away with a better sense of the transformative nature of MedTech and their potential role in it, widening their future aspirations.</li> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div"><strong class= "rte2-style-bold">Real-World Solutions:</strong> The program produced innovative designs like an inhaler watch. Another group redesigned crutc