SUMMER 2025 IEEE CLEVELAND CHAPTER STEM OUTREACH

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The plan for these newsletters is to spotlight key elements of our commitment to STEM education, including:

  • Member Spotlight – A feature on an individual IEEE member making a meaningful impact through STEM outreach.
  • Seasonal Highlights – A look back at recent events and activities where IEEE  members are engaged with students and educators in the community.
  • Upcoming Opportunities – Information on upcoming STEM outreach initiatives and how you can get involved.

This newsletter is more than just a recap—it’s a way to recognize our collective impact, share best practices, and connect members who are passionate about giving back through STEM education. Whether you’re a parent involved with their students, seasoned volunteer or just beginning to explore outreach opportunities, we invite you to read, get inspired, and get involved.

Let’s continue building a stronger future for STEM—together.

IEEE SENIOR MEMBER  RICK BEYERLE CULTIVATES INTERNATIONAL AWARD WINNING STEM OUTREACH EXCELLENCE IN  NORTHEAST  OHIO

 Some team mentors and the 2025 robot with Rick Beyerle during the school summer vacation.

When most engineers head home after a day’s work, mentoring a high school robotics team isn’t on the schedule. But for Rick Beyerle, it’s been a commitment spanning more than a decade. Since the 2011–2012 season, he has mentored FIRST Robotics World Championship winning Team 120, based at Tri-C’s Youth Technology Academy (YTA).

The team has a rich history, beginning at East Tech High School in the 1990s before moving to YTA at Tri-C’s Applied Technology Training Center on Woodland Avenue. Backed by NASA, Rockwell Automation, and two dozen other sponsors, Team 120 has become a fixture in Cleveland’s STEM community.

Rick has been an IEEE member for 22 years and is currently retired (congratulations!). He was raised in Northeast Ohio with family ties to East Tech High School.  As a high school student, Rick attended weekly classes at Lubrizol where he learned about polymer science from chemists and chemical engineers.  It was a good introduction for later STEM after-hours volunteer work.

To sum his experience up he states “I’ll never forget the thrill of standing on the world championship stage in 2016, confetti falling everywhere,” he recalls. “But honestly, the most meaningful moments are smaller—getting a thank-you note from a former student, or seeing alumni come back as mentors and judges. That’s when you know the impact is lasting.”

This year marks the team’s first attempt at year-round operations, a shift that promises deeper technical learning. Students are exploring complex systems such as swerve drive mechanisms and using statistical methods to improve scouting—a practice Rick helped pioneer. By randomizing observers and applying industrial statistics, he turned scouting into both a data-driven strategy and a team-building exercise.

To him, mentoring isn’t just about engineering—it’s about community. “Why would one suddenly stop just because of retirement?” he asks. “The more you contribute, the more you get out of it.”

YTA’s high bay serves as a nexus for the software, hardware, electronics and practice field (game strategy) development and construction.  Banners from competitions line the upper floor.

The YTA staff has  also secured a benchtop scanning electron microscope from Hitachi for the 2025-26 school year and will take charge of moving it throughout the CMSD schools.  It may have little to do with FIRST, but it illustrates the way they are able to involve students in STEM fields.

 One engineer’s steady commitment has built a bridge for hundreds of students into STEM. What could your contribution spark? If you want to get involved with some of these activities contact Rick ([email protected].).

 YTA is directed by Mary Kay Bitterman <[email protected]>. 

STEM OPPORTUNITY BOARD – Do you have an event you would like to  post for volunteers , attendence or sponsorship? Let us know and we will include it our next news letter.  Email [email protected]

UPCOMING  IEEE  STEM OPPORTUNITIES

 None reported….

But Cleveland IEEE has polo shirts for STEM volunteers! Contact [email protected] if you are interested in a shirt.

The newsletter is also looking for another member and their STEM activities to highlight. Please contact [email protected] if you have a story to share.

 STEM OPPORTUNITES AT LARGE ARE BELOW

The Northeast Ohio Science & Engineering Fair (NEOSEF.org) is an annual opportunity for volunteering; the event is held in March.