Last week, IVM hosted Steve Emerson, a computer science teacher within Hamilton Southeastern School District at Fishers High School, for an externship, providing him with a behind-the-scenes look at IVM’s work in cybersecurity and IoT. Steve is hard at work this summer developing a new curriculum for high school students that will be more hands-on and give them practical skills to succeed in a career in the tech industry.
Steve hopes to create a cybersecurity class that will allow students to focus on real-world applications of technology and help bridge the gap between classroom learning and the tech industry. His experience at IVM will provide real-world examples for students about how companies use technology for creative solutions and problem-solving outside of the classroom. Ideally, Steve would like to add lab components and field trips to the curriculum that would let students experience the tech industry firsthand.
During his visit, Steve met with IVM employees from a variety of departments, including Vending Services, Sales, and Application and Systems Development. He had the opportunity to sit in on a client call and have lunch with Andy Dalton, IVM’s new CIO, to discuss a Fishers IoT Lab. The IVM team was thrilled to chat with Steve and learn more about what he hopes to get out of his experience.
When we asked Steve why he thought his students would be interested in IVM, he explained: “IVM has a really cool hands-on application of computer science. Students think about big tech companies with computer science – they don’t think about how many different companies use computer science in all these different areas. I’m excited to give them more real-world context.”
It was a pleasure to host Steve last week – at IVM, we’re always excited about new collaborators and bright ideas. Steve’s externship previews our internship program with the Hamilton Southeastern School District and we look forward to meeting those students this fall. We’re excited to see their creativity and provide them with hands-on skills that will serve them well in class and beyond.
