By Piper Moore (Co-Editor of Layout and Design 23')
Please welcome Matt Schoifet, the new science teacher and co-director of the CID (Center of Innovation and Design) here at Friends’ Central!
From a very early age, Mr. Schoifet had an intense passion for physics and any subject that could satisfy his hunger for knowledge. Fueled by a curiosity to discover the answers to the fundamental questions of the cosmos, young Matt Schoifet peppered his parents with questions concerning humanity’s role in the universe. His parents further facilitated this interest, and may have inspired it, with his father being a doctor and inviting a scientist to one of his birthday parties. He later explored his passion at Cornell University and eventually graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physics. After college, he taught for AmeriCore in Miami, Florida as a middle school math teacher for a public charter school for 3 years. Afterwards, he worked at a private school for another four years. While in Miami, he attended the University of Florida and earned a master’s degree in education before coming to Philadelphia. Unable to resist the draw of the CID, he then came to work here at Friends’ Central.
As the co-director of the CID and faculty advisor to the robotics team, he is grateful that FCS invests in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Specifically concerning the robotics team, he believes it is a great experience for those who want to explore the field of engineering and possibly pursue a career in engineering. FCS’s robotics team is a part of a program called FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition for Science and Technology). This program provides students the opportunity to learn from professional engineers and often the program’s graduates are offered internships at Boeing. March marked the beginning of their competition season, and so far they have won the Rookie All-Star award. Outside of his involvement with the robotics team, he encourages everyone to use the CID to express the full possibilities of their creativity. Some of his favorite tools in the CID include the 3-D printer because it’s great for building prototypes. Luckily for him, many of the students already come to the CID with incredible ideas, all they need is someone to guide them in the right direction.
Besides furthering the robotics program, Mr. Schoifet hopes to offer engineering and design electives to teach students how to make 3-D designs for 3-D printing as well as a maker-space type engineering elective. He would also like to implement an engineering aspect to CJ’s woodshop class. We hope Mr. Schoifet is able to achieve all of the above aspirations and cannot wait to see the further success of the robotics team!
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