Stepping Up Newsletter

Invention Convention 1st place winner, Southern Nash Middle School Team 1 impresses judges with their invention, Flex Fit, an attachable cleat.

Invention Convention Empowers Students to Solve Community Problems

On December 10, students across the Twin-Counties prepared and gathered at Nash Community College for STEP's exciting and competitive, Invention Convention. The competition involved 9 different middle schools and 15 different teams.

South Edgecombe Middle students present their invention, Bathroom Monitor Systems.

Invention Convention is a competition for middle school students, testing their creativity, presentation skills, professionalism, teamwork and overall entrepreneurship skills. They are tasked with creating an original product or service and pitching their idea to judges. Before the event, students work together to form their business plan and make their pitch appealing through means such as creating interactive business cards, an engaging commercial and a product prototype.

While all students did well, there were a few presentations that truly stood out to judges. Southern Nash Team 2 finished 3rd with their creation ProPal. South Edgecombe Team 1 finished 2nd with their Bathroom Monitoring System invention. Southern Nash Team 1 took 1st place with Flex Fit.

Desiree Dolberry, with the Boys & Girls Club, shares her thoughts about the event and being a judge, "I truly enjoyed serving as a judge at S.T.E.P.’s Invention Convention. The youth who participated are a powerful example of what the future holds. Through their presentations and the hard work they put into this competition, it’s clear they are learning how to think critically, collaborate, and turn ideas into action. Great job to S.T.E.P. for creating opportunities that allow youth to think beyond the classroom, develop innovative ideas, and build real-world teamwork and execution skills."

Educators Present Externship Experiences

and Takeaways

Teacher externs pose for a group photo after completing their presentations. Pictured left to right, front to back (Phillip Lampron, Michelle Sykes, Grace terry, Clarissa Verdera, Rickesha Moven Hill, Bahia Bayyari, Stacy Ann Williams, Kerrean Carey, Christian Jones, Sara Clark, Ashaki Mitchell, Marsha Smith)

Congratulations Teacher Externs!

Local educators recently took part in STEP’s annual Teachers@Work presentations, where they shared valuable insights and experiences gained from their industry externships, along with how they have applied this learning in their classrooms. Community members and representatives from host organizations were also in attendance to celebrate their achievements.

The Teachers@Work program provides educators with hands-on experience in local industries through paid externships. By working side-by-side with professionals, teachers gain firsthand knowledge of current technologies, workplace skills, and industry expectations.

By bringing these new skills and insights into their teaching, educators are enhancing student engagement and equipping students with practical skills that meet today’s workforce demands. This initiative strengthens the vital connection between education and local industry while supporting ongoing professional development for teachers.

This year, over 1350 students have been positively impacted by the work of this group of teacher externs.

“It’s a great experience for teachers to get out in the real world and see how other job opportunities out there are different and how we as teachers can bring it back into our classrooms.” -Grace Terry, Bailey Elementary, Sinnovatek

Student Success Stories

Congratulations students!

Through STEP’s Students@Work program, two CITI High seniors have taken the next step by starting paid internships.

Gary Foster and Isaac Sevilla-Castro, both students of CITI High School who will soon graduate in May, have earned credentials and are now paid interns with local employer, Freedom Industries.

Gary is utilizing his many certifications earned through CITI High by working in Freedom Industries' welding and pre-fabrication department. Isaac is gaining valuable experience by working on electrical systems at Pfizer, who has contracted Freedom Industries services.

The mission of Students@Work:Twin Counties is to connect high school students with local organizations through meaningful work-based learning experiences that benefit both students and employers. It provides students with experiences like career exploration and apprenticeship opportunities, and helps employers discover emerging talent and cost-effective staffing.

Upcoming Events

Healthcare Connections

• ECC, Rocky Mount Campus
• February 24th & 25th

High school students have the opportunity to meet with healthcare professionals from a wide variety of careers. Healthcare Connections gives students hands-on experience and deep exploration into careers that peak interest.

Popular healthcare careers among students are nursing, respiratory therapy and surgical technician. 

Brick City Engineering Challenge

• Rocky Mount Event Center
• March 20th

STEM Based LEGO competition for Edgecombe County & Nash County elementary schools, grades 3-5. Schools compete at the individual school-level and culminate in a regional competition.

The goal of this challenge is to spark interest, confidence and creative problem solving early in the STEM fields needed for our local workforce.

STEM Design Challenge

• Rocky Mount Event Center
• April 1st

Students in grades 6-8 are challenged to build a motorized object using K'Nex, a versatile, creative construction product and a Cue Robot while practicing problem solving skills and working as a team.

Consulting engineers from local companies engage with the teams prior to competition and share important work-based skills/concepts.