At EHHS, students interested in engineering and earning STEM credits are able to enroll in Mr. Cassone’s Engineering 1 and Engineering 2 courses. These classes are designed for students who want to explore what engineering is and how science, math, and technical skills can be applied to create solutions that improve everyday life.
According to the 2025-2026 Program of Studies, Engineering 1 “introduces the Engineering Design Process, Engineering Careers, and Technical communication. Students will learn how to apply metric units and measurements in daily tasks. Engineering Drawing, 3D drawing are used to prepare for rapid prototyping and 3D printing. This introductory course will focus on the principles of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Students will create a portfolio of drawings, 3D printed projects as well as a Personal Interest Project.”
In Engineering 2, students build on previously learned skills and is described as a course that “introduces students to statics (Civil Engineering), properties of materials, basic coding using code.org and Arduino, topics in Chemical Engineering, and advanced skills in 3D modeling. A classwide project will be chosen, developed, and presented.”
Both Engineering 1 and Engineering 2 are full-year courses. Engineering 1 is open to students in grades 9 through 12 and is offered as an ECE (Early College Experience). If students wish to, they can elect to earn 3.0 credits with Southern Connecticut State University if they pass the course with a B or better. Engineering 2 is available to any student who has completed Engineering 1 with a 75 or higher.
Students currently enrolled in the course say the class offers a fun, hands-on experience. “I like how we get to do projects for each unit,“ said EHHS sophomore Samantha Fazio, “It’s different from my other classes and I always look forward to coming to class.”
However, the courses can come off as a challenge to some. “Students find that engineering challenges them if they are not used to being resilient, and give up quickly,” Cassone explained, “The math that is required is not difficult [so the difficult part] is keeping on task so that projects are completed by the firm deadlines.” He hopes that these classes will allow students to learn key problem solving skills and build confidence.
Mr. Cassone has been teaching Engineering 1 for 18 years and Engineering 2 for the past 3 years. Since Engineering 2 is a newer course, he encourages students to give him feedback to improve the class. He says that his favorite part of teaching is seeing students engage with hands-on learning and realize their potential. “I most enjoy seeing students get engaged who prefer hands-on learning. Also, I enjoy seeing students realize that they can do difficult things, challenge themselves, and find success,” Cassone said.
As the classes continue to grow, Mr. Cassone looks forward to continuing teaching these courses and watching students grow their creative ability, technical skills, and confidence.
