BSM’s RED department is a program at BSM where students learn how to solve problems that could come up in real life. They learn how to think on their own and use their imagination and curiosity to solve problems that come up in their creations. The class is very unique to each student who takes it at BSM.

Last year, BSM engineering launched a department called RED: Research, entrepreneurship, and design. It is an academic department that is set up like the modern and evolving workplace. “Students are challenged to solve real problems that impact their world,” engineering teacher Ms. Anne Dougherty said.

The engineering flagship class is the new RED capstone project. “It is an ambitious and personalized class where students use design thinking and the agile management process to bring a personal project to life,” Dougherty said.

Each student has many different ideas. Students in the class all think differently and each project is going to be unique and exciting in their own way. “Students’ projects are as varied and exciting as publishing a book of poetry for a McKnight fellowship, founding a beverage delivery bike business, creating an upcycled clothing line, and designing a therapeutic robotic exoskeleton,” Dougherty said.

Engineering is a very unique class because not everybody learns the same thing. The class is basically student-run and very active. Students aren’t just sitting in a classroom sitting and listening to a teacher the whole time. “No two engineering students will ever have the same experience because no two students in our program are the same,” Dougherty said.

In the class, students get to use their own ideas. They may be given a rubric to follow but it is usually broad so the students can use their imagination on what they would like to create. “Students get to follow their curiosity and passion and that’s usually quite inspiring to witness,” Dougherty said.

Engineering has many different opportunities for each student depending on what their interests are. Most students are able to find a place in engineering. “Whether you are interested in robotics, invention, game design or even if you just like to make things there is a place in engineering for you!” Dougherty said.

Click here to view all this year’s projects.