The Conductor at the University of Central Arkansas
Have you heard about the Conductor at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway? If not, you’re missing out on great learning opportunities focused on business, entrepreneurship, marketing, and technology, as well as resources that K–12 teachers in Arkansas can use to make their classrooms more hands on and student centered, even when the classroom is virtual.
The Conductor is a public-private partnership between the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) and Startup Junkie Consulting, an organization that offers consulting services at no cost to entrepreneurs. The partnership’s mission is “to empower entrepreneurs, makers, and innovators and build a diverse, inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in Central Arkansas.”
Since 2016, the Conductor has created and facilitated numerous workshops, speakers, hands-on opportunities, and more for the general public. For K–12 students, the Conductor offers several programs to spark students’ interest in entrepreneurship, business, and STEM education.
The following sections showcase the in-person and online resources and programs the Conductor offers for students and highlights how teachers and parents can use these resources to improve their students’ educational experiences.
Youth Maker Challenge
To get Arkansas students interested and involved in STEM learning, the Conductor has created a series of Youth Maker Challenge videos. These videos guide elementary students through at-home projects using inexpensive materials like string, pipe cleaners, and straws. For example, a student watching one of the videos will learn how to design a suspension bridge while also learning how engineers design bridges at various scales.
Each challenge comes with a video guide, written instructions, and additional materials like conversation starters to talk about learning with friends and family. Teachers and parents can guide students through the activities or give students the freedom to explore the content on their own and create what interests them most. Students can also share their creations with the Conductor team using email, Facebook, or Twitter for a chance to have their projects showcased on social media.
Middle School Brand Camp
Looking for hands-on experiences for incoming 5th through 7th graders? The Conductor has a Brand Camp program designed with middle schoolers in mind. This program teaches the basics of marketing and creates opportunities for students to get hands-on experience in brand building and advertising by teaming up to create real campaigns for local Arkansas businesses. Students get to experience what an advertising career might look like and even get to pitch their ideas and creations to Arkansas industry professionals.
High School Hack-a-Thon
Arkansas high schoolers looking at Conductor programs might also be interested in the Arkansas High School Hack-a-Thon. For this event, the Conductor partners with the Arkansas Coding Academy to create a competition for high school juniors and seniors focused on computer science and coding.
Students compete with both written and technical challenges based in the Java programming language. The hackathon is free for accepted schools, and applications open each winter. This event has a newsletter and additional video content if you’d like to learn more.
UCA Makerspace
Another amazing resource from the Conductor is the UCA Makerspace, which has recently added additional virtual options. The Makerspace is a collaborative, interdisciplinary work space on the University of Central Arkansas campus. This Makerspace is equipped with 3D printers, a laser cutter, CNC machine, routers, and other digital fabrication tools and is staffed with people excited to teach others about how and why these digital resources are developed and used.
Educational sessions are available both on campus and online to teach community members, student groups, and others interested in learning how to create things using technology. Makerspace staff will work with teachers or parents interested in bringing their students to use the workspace. The Makerspace team has also put together an interactive virtual tour of the space, which includes video, photos, and other media to showcase the unique space. Teachers can access the virtual tour and "walk" their kids through the space and explore together or students can explore independently.
Using the Makerspace, teachers and parents can demonstrate to Arkansas students of all ages the importance of technological design and development. Makerspace staff are available to demonstrate how to use materials and to answer any questions that might come up from students. These activities can lead to discussions about how products and their development have changed over time, and students can explore how these new technologies have improved our lives.
How Do Conductor Programs Meet Arkansas Educational Standards?
So, how do the programs and events offered through the Conductor tie into Arkansas students’ learning requirements? To answer that, let’s take a closer look at a few Arkansas educational standards and talk about the connections you can make when planning.
Economics
EM.3.E.1: Analyze the role of consumers in a market economy (Middle School Brand Camp)
NE.5.E.2: Evaluate the impact of advancements in technology, investments in capital goods, and investments in human capital on economic growth and standards of living (UCA Makerspace)
Personal Finance
PF.3.CCP.1 Explore potential careers (including an employment forecast) and the steps needed to achieve them based on interests and/or talents (Middle School Brand Camp, High School Hack-a-Thon)
PF.3.CCP.2 Explore opportunities for internships, job shadowing, and real-world experiences to determining future career paths (Middle School Brand Camp, High School Hack-a-Thon)
Additional Opportunities
The Conductor regularly hosts webinars and community events with speakers and presentations covering topics like goal-setting, marketing, financial planning, and more. These sessions provide opportunities to network with and learn from other individuals living and working in Arkansas, and may provide insights and additional local examples you can use when discussing entrepreneurship and technology with your students. They can also help your students meet the educational standards described above. All past webinars have been saved and listed on the Conductor website under “Resources.” Teachers can access these at any time as additional content for their class. There is content for both the Makerspace and Entrepreneurial programming.
Wrapping Up
The wealth of resources offered through the Conductor at UCA is growing, creating more and more opportunities for Arkansas students. Conductor programming can add an additional hands-on component to your students’ experience and allow them to explore interests in business, marketing, entrepreneurship, and technology. For more information about Conductor programs, check out the Conductor’s full calendar of events and registration information. On that site, you can also find contact information for Conductor team members you can reach out to for scheduling student-focused events and workshops.
