In celebration of Maine School of Science and Mathematics’ 30th anniversary, Thomas College delivered a themed weekend on Design Thinking for about 100 MSSM students on March 1 at MSSM.
MSSM has historically had special programming on special weekends, called themed weekends, to help expose their students to advanced and interesting topics. For example, the prototype for the first Windstorm Challenge occurred at an MSSM-themed weekend in their junior Olympic-sized swimming pool.
The weekend, delivered by Thomas College staff members Luke Shorty and Mike Duguay, was designed so that MSSM students can now demonstrate successful knowledge and ability to qualify for Thomas College’s Design Thinking Badge.
“This is an experience that we are confident no other high school in the State is receiving,” said Shorty, Thomas College’s executive director of strategic initiatives and former mathematics teacher and executive director of MSSM. “Thomas College is known for being able to accelerate its students into their careers with our 3+1 program and we thought what better place to pilot our one-day Design Thinking badge than at Maine’s only magnet school where students can accelerate their learning at their pace.”
Thomas College has a robust design thinking programming for students and area business professionals through its Harold Alfond® Institute for Business Innovation. The Institute provides the instruction, resources and guidance that is needed to take someone’s great idea all the way to an operating business or social venture. Folks are introduced to design thinking and lean startup methods by skilled faculty and advisors who will teach them how to create, validate and monetize any idea, skill or college degree.
“We’re very excited to offer this experience to our students and greatly appreciate Thomas College generously offering this to MSSM in honor of our 30th anniversary,” said MSSM Executive Director Rob Constantine. “We’re proud to be the State’s STEM magnet school and appreciate our responsibility to create a challenging and engaging education for some of Maine’s most promising and passionate learners. Innovative partners like Thomas College are key to helping us unleash the possibility for our students, for MSSM, and for Maine!”
“The Design Thinking program of Thomas College is ideal for the students of Maine School and Science & Mathematics and its educational model,” said MSSM Humanities Division Leader Anthony Scott. “The student body of MSSM comes from diverse means, cultures, cognitive profiles, and learning strategies, from both large school districts and small districts with limited resources. What unites them is motivation and a love for learning, and they seek out opportunities to put their hands and minds to work in pursuit of that passion. The power of MSSM comes from putting that many people with that passion in one place. There is no other way to duplicate that experience and get the same educational results. By combining the Design Thinking program’s real-world strategies for innovation and collaboration with the concentrated focus and curiosity of the MSSM student body, both institutions can expect exciting ideas with notable, practical impacts.”
Thomas College and MSSM plan to partner again in the fall when MSSM hosts a robotics conference on Thomas College’s campus in Waterville on October 4.
Maine School of Science and Mathematics is a tuition-free, public, residential high school that enrolls students from across the state and serves over 600 students each year through its academic and summer offerings. Opened in 1995, the school provides high school students with a rigorous, student-centered curriculum that emphasizes the connections between math, science, and humanities and culminates in opportunities for authentic research. MSSM’s summer camps inspire Maine middle school students to explore their passions for science, math, engineering, and technology. MSSM also provides professional development opportunities for teachers throughout the state. For more information about MSSM: www.MSSM.org.
U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks Thomas College as a top college in Maine for social mobility. Our clear career focus and one-of-a-kind Guaranteed Job Program™ makes it possible to advance faster in the arts and sciences, business, and education. Earn an undergraduate degree in three years and then choose from a variety of in-person or online graduate degree programs that can be completed in one year or two. Located in Waterville, Thomas College is your pathway to a promising future, guaranteed. For more information visit thomas.edu or contact MacKenzie Riley Young at mediarel@thomas.edu or 207-859-1313. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok.
