Notre Dame’s search for an innovative engineering program began as soon as leadership got on board with the idea, which didn’t take long. Ms. Saxon’s team researched every option available at the time, including:
<ul>
 	<li>Attending training sessions on Next Gen Science Standards (NGSS)</li>
 	<li>Researching options available from major textbook providers</li>
 	<li>Researching what the local universities offered</li>
 	<li>Researching curricula providers available online</li>
</ul>
“We knew about other companies that produced curricula, but students tend to find their programs either boring or too easy. We needed something that would be engaging for our students, something that would pose a challenge to them”, Ms. Saxon told us. She remembers not being happy with any of the available options. She wanted something truly career-connected.

<strong>This is when Notre Dame met Milestone C.</strong> We connected just as Ms. Saxon’s team was running out of viable options for a career-connected engineering program that would help their school stand out among high-end Connecticut high schools, a significant competition.
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<h2><b>Developing a Unique Engineering Curriculum</b></h2>
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<i>“</i><i>We had engineers and teachers with expertise in the field writing curriculum and designing activities, course work and assessments that reflected what actually takes place in an engineering setting. That’s what I appreciated the most about working with Milestone C.”</i>

<strong><i>Ms. Katie Saxon</i></strong>

To give Notre Dame an idea of how we teach and how we design our programs, we suggested that they do an <strong>after-school program</strong> with us first. This enabled Notre Dame to gather initial feedback from students and parents and to properly evaluate our programs.

Enthusiastic feedback showcased Milestone C’s approach to developing STEM curricula was, indeed, groundbreaking, and highly effective. We were exactly what Notre Dame had been searching for: an expert provider of <strong>experiential, project-based programs</strong> that teach both <strong>technical and soft skills</strong> necessary for college &amp; early career success in the 21st century.

Notre Dame then launched an official collaboration with Milesotne C to develop a <strong>multi-year, custom engineering curriculum</strong> that would expand upon the <strong>Non-Linear Learning techniques</strong> employed in the after-school program. This collaboration resulted in what is today a three-year signature Notre Dame engineering program called T/E/D (Technology/Engineering/Design). Our work was greatly enhanced by Ms. Saxon’s clear vision of the program and Notre Dame’s unwavering determination to establish an engineering pathway for its students.

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