Boyertown TSA
A nationally renowned student organization
The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a STEM organization that was incorporated 41 years ago, initially more focused on industrial arts. Since then, TSA has grown to over 250,000 members worldwide and has grown even beyond STEM, incorporating artistic and purely creative elements. Members from middle school and high school compete in a wide array of events, ranging from "Promotional Design" to "Engineering Design". TSA is one of eleven national Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSO), and its purpose is to help students grow their technical and leadership skills. In 2016, TSA introduced a new program called "LEAP". LEAP has become an essential part of all TSA events, and focuses on helping students develop and reflect on their leadership skills, and how they apply to their post-secondary plans. TSA has also secured a partnership with CompTIA, an IT industry with a focus on the growing STEM pipeline. This year, thousands of students from across the world will compete at the 2019 National TSA Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. With dozens of programs, partnerships, events, and conferences, TSA has grown far beyond an industrial arts society - breaking boundaries beyond the classroom.
The Boyertown Area Senior High School has a rich tradition of excellence in technology education. With five teachers in the department, Boyertown Tech Ed offers a wide array of classes, from photography and digital communications, to technical drawing and architectural design. Students taking the introductory technology education course, "Technology and Engineering", are introduced to a variety of basic engineering project such as creating a laser-engraved ruler, building bridges out of unconventional materials, and building robots via VEX Robotics kits. Many students who take Technology Education courses often follow up by taking more courses in the following years. Most recently, BASH Tech Ed has incorporated welding and metalworking into its introductory courses, as well as adding more technology to classrooms - including laser engravers and 3D printers. As always, it is the mission of the Boyertown Area School District, including its Technology Education department, to Enable All Students to Succeed in a Changing World.