EDITORIAL
Engaging the Next Generation T
rying to relate to today’s high school students is a unique experience—especially when 85 of them are staring at you. This
was my challenge last month as part of a three- person team asked to give a 1.5-hour presenta- tion at South Tech High School in St. Louis. Students from all over St. Louis County come
to this school for 2.5 hours of practical instruc- tion (classroom and hands-on) in a variety of professions, including advanced manufactur- ing, construction, electronics, robotics, energy, aerospace, arts and communication. This pro- gram replaces the elective credits as part of their education.
Our focus was on opening their eyes to another
manufacturing industry.
Our presentation introduced metalcasting to students enrolled in machining, robotics and electronics courses. Our focus was on opening their eyes to another manufacturing industry as a potential source for jobs or, more importantly, as something they might encounter in their future career as a machinist or robotic technician. The key to our presentation was to utilize our Found- ry in a Box, which is a hobbyist’s metalcasting kit with a “microwave” for melting tin in a crucible and sand molds to make starfish, chameleons and other trinkets. To see those teens’ interest ignite when that molten metal was poured was worth the effort of the presentation. While I was not oblivious to the 20% of the students who ignored the “old” guys in the front of the room, we provided the rest of them a small takeaway that opened their eyes to new opportunities. That 80% also heard the most important message we could deliver— you are in the right place at the right time as manufacturing comes into vogue in our society as
an opportunity for employment. One of the keys to the successful pre-
sentation at South Tech was delivery— our team was focused on engaging the students with a combination of interac- tive demonstration, video and discussion. With this June issue of Modern Casting, we are following that same path to increase engage- ment with you, our reader. On this editorial page, as
well as select other pages in this issue, you will see a four-color, flower-shaped icon representing the Act- able App for additional Media Resources. Down- load this free App to your smart device (phone or tablet) and use it to scan the pages of this magazine on which it appears. This App allows you to interact with Modern Casting in new ways by unleashing additional content. In this issue, we are providing you with videos. In the future, expect to see slide shows, 3-D graphics and animation that jumps off the pages of the magazine. Our goal is to increase your engagement today, while developing Mod- ern Casting to ensure continued engagement with the next generation of metalcaster.
Alfred T. Spada, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
If you have any comments about this editorial or any other item that appears in MODERN CASTING, email me at
aspada@afsinc.org.
MEDIA RESOURCE Using the Actable App, scan the ad on page 38 to watch a video message from Al Spada. You can also watch the video at
www.metalcastingtv.com
June 2013 MODERN CASTING | 7
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