Young Innovators’ Society provides valuable learning opportunity

Students (K-12) looking to enhance their learning and interest in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) have the opportunity to do so as a part of the Young Innovators’ Society (YIS) in Solon. The club is run by several volunteers that help guide the students to become better leaders in various fields.

In the fall, YIS offers three levels of teams- FIRST Lego League (FLL), JuniorFLL, and First Technical Challenge (FTC). These give members a chance to compete with other teams in the area. At the competitions, teams of up to ten members, along with their coaches, use Legos (FLL and JrFLL) and robots (FTC) to model real-world scenarios and solve problems. YIS stresses the importance of developing teamwork skills and a culture of professionalism.

“This club gives members an opportunity to take some sort of engineering, science or technology idea and bring it to life,” said Nadine Otterman, founder of Solon’s YIS. “We help kids achieve a lot more than if they hadn’t joined our organization.”

There are four teams within Solon High School and two at the middle school, and even more teams at the elementary school level. Members of YIS, which consists of over 250 total members,  are tasked with the challenge of building and controlling robots using bluetooth technology.

“The kids are doing very student driven ideas and it’s very real,” Otterman said. “What’s really appealing is that it’s not a matter of taking a test in school, but it’s a matter of seeing how far you can take something.”

According to Sunil Narahari, a part of the Board of Directors and high school coach, the mission of the club is to encourage and develop further interest in STEM fields. Narahari is the coach of the team Legacy, which consists of nine members throughout SHS.

“There are a lot of intrinsic values that both parents and the kids get out of these programs, including the ability to work in teams and address challenges that come with working in teams, the confidence to go out in public and present their projects and compete, and leadership skills,” Narahari said. “In fact, there are kids that have provisional patents pending in their names based on projects and prototypes developed as a part of this program.”

One way that YIS is promoting its values is through an event they are planning with the city of Solon and the Solon Chamber of Commerce– a Minnow Tank, which is set to take place in Jan. 2016. Minnow Tank is similar to the TV show “Shark Tank,” where entrepreneurs present their ideas to wealthy investors. Members of the Chamber will act as the judges as anyone can present their creative ideas to local businesses.

YIS and the Minnow Tank were mentioned by CNN Money’s “Best Places to Live in 2015” article, in which Solon was ranked 10th in the U.S.

“Both the city and schools are working to teach students skills that could land them a job at one of [Solon’s] local businesses. The Young Innovators’ Society inspires kids from kindergarten on up to get into STEM fields,” CNN Money’s article reads.

In order for YIS, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, to function as a club, several volunteer workers must put in the time to coach and organize the event.

“All of the officers, directors, coaches and mentors are volunteers and spend hundreds of hours to guide and mentor the kids,” Narahari said. “This effort is so hidden behind the scenes that many do not realize the effort that goes into running all of the activities.”

YIS closely follows a program created by US First (www.usfirst.org) which is a national organization dedicated to motivate and interest kids in the area of STEM. The program itself has many aspects which, according to their website, encourage development of many positive traits in its participants.

Mike Ferris, President of YIS, noted that at the high school level, the combination of competition and exposure to intricate and sometimes advanced technology is what makes it appealing for students to join.

“Learning STEM concepts and working as a team for a single goal are critical in college and the working world,” Ferris said.

Students interested in joining YIS can visit www.solonstem.org for more information or contact President Mike Ferris directly at [email protected].