Bay Area

Richmond LPS Students Build Bridges to Support Engineering Education

Eleventh grade students Henry Salazar and Emiliano Rodriguez Sanchez teamed up with 10th grader Elwynn Cabrera to build the competition’s winning truss bridge. It was all part of a Civil Engineering competition for 10th through 12th graders at the school to construct strong bridges in class with the highest benefit and cost ratio — ultimately using the fewest number of popsicles sticks possible, according to the school.

Published

2 years ago

December 26, 2021

Oakland Post

Images courtesy of LPS Richmond.

By Kathy Chouteau for Richmond Standard

Students in Jeff Grossmann’s Intro to Engineering class at Richmond’s Leadership Public School recently accomplished something that had never been done before in his classroom: They built a bridge out of popsicle sticks that, when tested, withstood weight up to 497 lbs.

Eleventh grade students Henry Salazar and Emiliano Rodriguez Sanchez teamed up with 10th grader Elwynn Cabrera to build the competition’s winning truss bridge.

It was all part of a Civil Engineering competition for 10th through 12th graders at the school to construct strong bridges in class with the highest benefit and cost ratio — ultimately using the fewest number of popsicles sticks possible, according to the school.

During class on Monday and Tuesday, students tested their bridges by hanging a bucket from the middle of their bridge and then adding ten-pound bags of sand until the structure collapsed. All the while, students watched, analyzed and predicted how the bridges would perform.

On Dec. 15, the winning bridge withstood a student being placed in the test bucket and 10 lb. sandbags being added to get to 497 lbs. It was constructed with popsicle sticks and glue, weighed 1.1 lbs. and covered a 14-inch span, per Mr. Grossmann, who has taught at the school for five years. He underscored that the winning bridge ended up holding more than 400 times its weight.

The process leading up to the competition saw the students learning about civil engineering by experimenting with various forces, i.e., tension, compression and bending, and then testing different materials, including popsicle sticks, straws and string, to determine which materials were stronger or weaker, per the school.

Throughout the process, students also researched five different types of bridges — including arch, beam, cable-stayed, suspension and truss — and discussed local bridges and why each was designed and constructed in a particular way.

Mr. Grossmann said that as an engineering major in college, he learned the most from classes where he built things and competed against other teams. He said his students “show that same creativity and problem-solving, which I believe is strong preparation for whatever they do after high school.”

Founded in 2002, Leadership Public Schools operates charter high schools in Richmond, Oakland and Hayward and serves more than 1,700 scholars annually. It aims to create “inclusive, empowering and college-preparatory learning experiences for students that equip them for success in college, career, and community leadership,” per a statement. Learn more about Leadership Public Schools at https://www.leadps.org/.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

5 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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Bay Area

State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference

California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

Published

1 week ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

American Business Women’s Association Vice President Velma Landers, left, with California State Controller Malia Cohen (center), and ABWA President LaRonda Smith at the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the ABWA at the Black Wealth Brunch.

By Carla Thomas

The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.

ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.

More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.

Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.

“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.

“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.

“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.

By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”

Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”

Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”