What caused you to gravitate toward your profession? Many of us can point to a moment in time when a switch flipped that set things in motion. With this frame of mind, a group of employees from The Wooten Company recently visited C.C. Spaulding Elementary School in Durham to engage groups of 4th and 5th graders about STEM concepts and careers.
Ana Wadsworth, Justin Bright, and Calvin Toland demonstrated how stormwater collection protects people and property from flooding. Bob Egan and Reggie Powell presented how electricity lights the way for us to live and learn. And Gary Hartong and Thomas Madre facilitated an exercise to understand potential and kinetic energy.
Teachers then led all the young Spaulding Eagles outside to assemble in the bus circle for the grand finale: Brian Oschwald cranked open a fire hydrant to show just how much pressurized water can flow in just 60 seconds. (The answer? About 2,000 gallons! Click here to watch a short video.)
Thomas Madre, who leads Wooten’s community involvement initiatives, described what the experience means to him as a STEM professional.
It’s rewarding to see kids so full of curiosity and excited about these topics; they had a ton of great questions. As a father of young children, I appreciate that Spaulding is exploring fun and unique ways to present this knowledge to their students. Whether they go into STEM or other fields, understanding these concepts will enrich their lives.
— Thomas Madre, AIA, The Wooten Company
While most schools consider their enrollees to be students, every young learner at Spaulding is known as a scholar, which reflects the administration’s approach to equip each and every Eagle to fly high.
Hosting The Wooten Company for our STEM Exploration Experience was a meaningful step toward fulfilling our vision of preparing students for future success. Providing our 4th and 5th graders with hands-on opportunities to engage with real-world careers helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and lifelong aspirations.
— Dr. Vanessa Alford, Principal, C.C. Spaulding Elementary
The school’s namesake reflects a tradition of excellence. Charles Clinton “C.C.” Spaulding, born in 1874, served for 25 years as president of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance, the oldest and largest Black-owned company of its kind in the United States. An accomplished local and national policy advocate, Spaulding left an enduring legacy.
Wooten and Spaulding have a close connection. For most of his 37 years with The Wooten Company, Reggie Powell has worked with the company's Building Systems Division. His daughter, Victoria Powell, is an Assistant Principal at the school. She credits seeing her Dad’s success with inspiring her own journey. Wooten is proud to support Spaulding’s mission and looks forward to seeing today’s scholars build brighter tomorrows.