Last year Eleanor Roosevelt High welcomed a new teacher, Mrs. Arlynda Jorgenson, into the engineering department. This year she has introduced ERHS to a new class, production systems, which has replaced the energy systems elective.

Production systems is a class that focuses on computer programming used to create a form of artificial intelligence in order to solve a problem or overcome an obstacle.

“Production systems is a joint venture between Eleanor Roosevelt and the University of Maryland, ” says Mrs. Jorgensen. “We are doing a few things with it. We’re giving students here at Roosevelt the opportunity to take a college engineering course here at Roosevelt and also trying to create more of a relationship between Roosevelt and the University of Maryland, so that our students get to know some of the professors over there and can be able to make a more seamless transition from Roosevelt to [the University of] Maryland if that is where they choose to study engineering.”

To take the class, students must be in the science and technology program, and have sophomore year engineering completed.

The final goal of the students is to go to University of Maryland, in May, and compete in the robotics competition.

A lot of students requested to take the class but only a third of the students who applied were able to take it. The students who were able to take the class had positive things to say.

“I really enjoy production systems it is really great because I get to explore the world of programming arduinos further than I could have on my own” says senior Milan Brown. “ I have definitely enjoyed production systems. We have built a number of different micro-controlled powered projects like LED arrays and we are expanding on our ability to code already and we are doing several large semester projects that are going to be very fun.”

Principal Mr. Reginald McNeill said he approved the class for its rigorous program and partnership with the University.

“Well, the productions systems class, the way it is set up we are very fortunate to have Mrs. Jorgensen teaching this class.  The way we are doing it, we formed a partnership with the University of Maryland to teach this class.”

Mr. McNeill continued, “We are piloting it this year to make sure the students get a rigorous program and get an opportunity to develop a project that will show them all the engineering design process and the way to properly use engineering. The way this is going to benefit our students [is] if they do really well they could not have to take that course in college.”