Robotic team troubleshoots a software problem with support from fellow students.

At McKinley Tech, Kenneth Lesley directs the National Academy Foundation Engineering Academy, which offers students strong academic and engineering training, guidance from dedicated teachers, and opportunities for mentorship and internships through industry collaborations. It is one of several STEM-focused academies at McKinley Tech, alongside programs in biotechnology and information technology.

Lesley’s career as a licensed professional engineer in the petroleum industry and software developer—as well as his experience as a soccer coach, scoutmaster, and robotics team mentor—led him to McKinley, where he has taught or directed the engineering program since 2004. 

In this Q&A, Lesley shares how his students develop a passion for engineering and learn to think outside the box. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

This Q&A is part of a series, Voices of CTE, that highlights experiences with career and technical education (CTE) among DC students, educators, and program directors. We ask them to share their perspectives on how career development opportunities support students’ career pathways, to give a more personal look at the ways CTE is affecting students around DC. The Q&A is part of the DC Education Research Collaborative’s multiyear study to examine career development opportunities for middle and high school students in DC Public Schools.

How did you come to this work?

I was a farmer’s kid, a son of a farmer, grandson of a farmer. And I did not want to be a farmer. So my ticket out was academics, and I was very, very good at that. For better or worse, I ended up at MIT. Now the downside was my high school was a good high school for farmers, but it did not prepare me for something like MIT. And so I started failing things.

I did finally graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering and ended up in the petroleum industry. I spent 15 years drilling oil wells. In 2003, I was mentoring my son’s robotics team. The lead teacher from his high school knew I was between projects. [So] I started my educational career as a math teacher. 

I realized that my kids who were learning geometry were struggling. So I started building bridges in class so they could understand how triangles work. I started building airplanes, again, more for triangles. These shapes impact what you’re doing. And I said to my principal, you know, if we’re doing this, why don’t we just start an engineering program? At that point, I was already at McKinley Tech, and we had an IT academy, a biotech academy, and a mass media academy. I said, “Let’s do engineering too, because it gives the students more of a hands-on approach to understanding the math, science, and everything that goes behind these things.”

In the back of my mind, I wanted to prepare my students so that they do not run into the same challenges I did. College is hard, and engineering is even harder. I wanted my kids to be successful. I wasn’t really thinking about career development yet.

Can you tell me more about the academy and what students do in the program?

Engineering is very broad. Whatever your passion or interest is or a problem that bugs you, there’s an engineering idea that addresses that issue. I’ve had students that really got into sneakers. Do you have any idea the amount of engineering that goes into these shoes? It’s chemical engineering to pick the right materials. It’s the actual structure of the shoe. I had kids skateboarding and figuring out what the mechanics of a skateboard are, how you build it, and…the physics behind being able to steer it. 

I try to open doors so that when they go through, they can open more doors. In our program, students don’t start until they’re in 10th grade. I want them to have a year to kind of “even out.” Because we’re an application school, we bring in students from the entire city. It’s a very uneven mix when they come in as 9th graders. So we give them time to get settled, and then in 10th grade, they learn the principles of engineering. They also take another class on design principles. Junior year is when we introduce them to electronics, so they do a digital electronics class. Then, they get to choose their path from there. 

I have a lot of students that are really interested in the aerospace industry, so about two-thirds of my kids will pick that. Another third wants to learn about manufacturing, so we have a manufacturing class. Senior year, they have a senior project. Most of my students, at least, especially on the engineering side, tend to like doing hands-on work. And I have found in general, whether it’s engineering or not, kids tend to remember the material better when they’re actually actively engaged with it.

What do you want students to get from participating in the program?

 I will not tell students what to do, but I will ask them very pointed questions that will hopefully get them to focus and rethink their approach to any particular part of their problem. 

I want my students to be competitive no matter where they go or what they want to do. One of the things I’ve been looking at is teaching the kids how to fail faster and more successfully. You know, go ahead, trip and fall. Make a mistake, learn from it.

Students also earn at least one or two skills-based certifications. But getting exposed to the engineering thought process, the way to solve problems—that, more than anything else, is the critical skill I want them to be able to take away. It is a way of approaching problems and finding working solutions. That’s my number one skill. Even if they don’t become an engineer, that they can take with them and use anywhere you go.

Keep in mind, we’re a Title I school [that receives federal funding to support students from low-income backgrounds]. These are the things that literally can change not just the student’s life but a family’s trajectory.

How can DCPS or other policymakers ensure that DC students who would benefit the most from CTE programming are able to access it?

We need to do a better job getting a consistent teaching cadre. If you’re bringing engineers in from outside, teach them how to be teachers. If you’re promoting a math teacher or a science teacher, how do I make them into an engineering teacher? [We need a system to get] all the teachers and all the schools the correct resources.

I’m fortunate. I’ve got 3D printers. I have a laser engraver cutter and engravers. I’ve got CNC [computer numerical control] mills. Coming from industry, I know these are the things I need. [But] we need to have better consistency across all programs [across the city]. At the McKinley campus, we have a separate building that was originally a steam plant for the city a century ago. I’m slowly turning it into a STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] center, but it’s more like a fancy maker space. I strongly believe that this needs to be a resource for the whole city, where we bring kids in from other schools so they can get hands-on opportunities. Then kids and teachers can go back to their schools with the knowledge from the projects they worked on. Let’s get some hands-on work. Let’s learn how to collaborate. Let’s learn how to do this teamwork thing.

The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, US Department of Education, through Grant R305N240059 to the Urban Institute. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Urban Institute or the US Department of Education.