Page 26 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch December 27, 2013 school is common. This often leads to students further pursing STEM in college and beyond. Hill noted that this gives Worcester students an edge in the workforce. “According to Forbes and U.S. News and World Report, the greatest occupational needs are going to continue to be STEM-related areas,” he wrote. Gateway aligns perfectly with Worcester’s ongoing emphasis on STEM education, according to Board of Education member Doug Dryden. “The world is wide open for engineers and there are technologies that we don’t even know about yet that these kids will be involved in,” he said. New STEM Program Offered To Middle School Students By TRAVIS BROWN STAFF WRITER BERLIN – As Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) continues to have an expanded focus in Worcester County schools, a new program will allow middle school students to get a big jump on the field. Gateway to Technology (GTT) offers eight units encompassing aspects like Green Architecture, Magic of Electrons and Energy and the Environment. Worcester is currently offering Gateway Part One to middle school students. Part One contains the two required foundational classes: Automation and Robotics as well as Design and Modeling. While the county has worked with Worcester Technical High School on Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a STEM initiative, for six years, it was only last spring that Worcester received an anonymous grant that funded the expansion of Gateway to county middle schools. “We recognized the need for enrichment at our school as all schools have,” said Trevor Hill, a teacher at Stephen Decatur High School. Hill directs students as they work through GTT. The program is flexible and carries a lot of depth, according to Hill. This allows participants to take as much away from Gateway as they put in. “The Project Lead the Way program Gateway to Technology (GTT) features a project-based curriculum designed to challenge and engage the natural curiosity and imagination of middle school students,” he wrote in a memo to the Board of Education. “They envision, design, and test their ideas with the same advanced modeling software used by companies like Lockheed Martin, Intel and Sprint.” There is also a heavy focus on understanding alternative energy such as solar, thermal and wind power. The goal, Hill told the school board at its December meeting, is to show students from an early age that the field of engineering has unlimited potential. The courses are meant to generate interest by having students create robots and see the impact of energy. Hill likened what GTT does to a classic engineering activity: the egg drop. While dropping an egg off of a building to learn about physics sounds old-fashioned, Hill told the board that it was still something that demanded his interest as a student, a feeling he wants to duplicate with Gateway. “It was a memorable thing, it was really engaging, it was really exciting,” he said. “And that’s kind of what I’ve put on myself to make sure that’s what I’m doing with these students. We’re doing memorable things that are engaging and exciting as we’re doing this Gateway to Technology.” As the name “Gateway” implies, the program is considered preparation for the STEM courses available at WTHS. However, GTT can function as a standalone program and there is no requirement to move on to WTHS. “Students completing Gateway Part 1 are not required to attend a STEM academy at Worcester Tech, but will be better prepared for WTHS should they choose to pursue a specialized STEM program,” he said. But the skills imparted through GTT are such a strong foundation for Pre-Engineering, Bio-Medical Science and Renewable Energies that transition to the technical high . . ‘I-55 Bandit’ Facing 20 Years FROM PAGE 25 Susquehanna Bank on 94th Street and demanded money, received an undisclosed amount of cash and then casually walked back to his awaiting vehicle several blocks away. After robbing the Ocean City bank, the suspect, later identified as Maberry, casually walked south on West Biscayne Drive to his parked vehicle. He then traveled through the Little Salisbury community to Pacific Ave., but was not seen again. The case remained under investigation and had not been solved until Maberry turned himself in to the FBI and a link was established between as many as nine robberies and two attempted robberies in five states over a period of about two months throughout the summer. On Sept. 10, a multi-state press release was issued, which included bank security camera photographs and video footage of the “I-55 Bandit.” The FBI district office in St. Louis and in other districts received numerous phone calls from individuals stating they knew Maberry. He turned himself in to authorities in Missouri the next day. It is uncertain if Maberry will be sentenced for each of nine robberies to which he pleaded guilty, but a U.S. District Court judge will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines when considering his fate. A sentencing date has not been set. Happy New Year From The Staff At Captain’s Galley OPEN DAILY AT 11:30 A.M. UPSTAIRS LUNCH AND LITE FARE Open Friday & Saturday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. CAPTAIN’S GALLEY II On The Water • West Ocean City Seafood Fit For A Captain SERVING DINNER DOWNSTAIRS Open Friday & Saturday 4:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m. EARLY BIRD MONDAY-SATURDAY 4:30 P.M.-5:30 P.M. $2 OFF ADULT ENTREES $1 OFF CHILDREN’S ENTREES (DOES NOT APPLY TO OTHER SPECIALS) HAPPY HOUR MONDAY-SUNDAY 4 P.M.-7 P.M. 55¢ WINGS $4.50 1/2-LB. STEAMED SHRIMP 410-213-2525 SENIOR CITIZEN SUNDAY: 20% OFF DINNER ENTREES (DOES NOT APPLY TO OTHER SPECIALS) AGE 55 YEARS YOUNG SUNDAY 4 P.M.-7 P.M. $4 ORANGE CRUSHES (BAR ONLY) LIVE LOBSTER CALL FOR AVAILABILITY Check Out Our Website For Other Specials And Coupons: www.occaptainsgalley2.com OPEN DAILY LITE FARE 11:30 A.M. DINNER 4:30 P.M. NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY RICKI & LENNON LA RICCI THURSDAY: 15% OFF CRABCAKE ENTREES NO RESERVATIONS • CALL AHEAD FOR AVAILABILITY FOR PARTIES OF 16 OR MORE LOCATED ON THE COMMERCIAL HARBOR 1/4-MILE SOUTH OF ROUTE 50 Golf Course Rd., West Ocean City, Md. Across From The Ocean City Outlets WE ACCEPT MASTERCARD, VISA, AMERICAN EXPRESS AND DISCOVER OPEN HOUSE - NEW YEAR’S DAY - 12 P.M.-2 P.M. 103 South Main Street Berlin MAJOR PRICE REDUCTION! BRING ALL OFFERS THIS WEDNESDAY! Berlin Main Street home featuring outstanding location, size and lawn. 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, oversize master bedroom and family room provide retreat. Huge rear deck encourages outside enjoyment. Charm and today's lifestyle needs are easily met in this one of a kind home. $299,990 Directions: Route 113 to Tripoli Street towards Berlin Town Center. Make Left on South Main Street. 2nd Property on Left.