Education 7.27.25 - Flipbook - Page 5
The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, July 27, 2025 5
Colleges use technology to prepare students for
workplace experiences
Stress management and wellness top-of-mind along with academic achievement
By Lisa Baldino, Contributing Writer
ondering
how
people are trained
for one of the most
stressful careers in
the world? Ever think
about what it takes to
present online courses? And what’s
the best mode for relaxation while still
juggling classes, jobs and activities?
Three local colleges answer these
questions with new technologydriven courses and simulated work
environments, encouraging students
to be ready for the workplace
experience – including handling
stressful situations.
W
Community College of
Baltimore County
Calmly Sends Them Flying
Students are finding their passion
in the aviation technology program
at Community College of Baltimore
County (CCBC). The program offers
six majors, including preparation for
pilot licensing and for admission
to the FAA school for air traffic
controllers. In addition to being
among only a handful of local
schools offering a general aviation
curriculum, CCBC boasts the only
air traffic control program (ATC) in
the region.
According to Joseph Eichelberger,
associate professor of aviation at
CCBC and himself a former Army
ATC, “The FAA is very strict on
selection of students for the training
school. To give our students a better
idea of the work environment, we
updated our training with control
tower simulators that are exact
replicas of the real thing.”
Eichelberger explains that the
65-inch display screens simulate the
tower windows, and the computer
talks to the students in ATC language.
“Every word is chosen with intent in
mind,” he says. As a pilot, he knows
the communications protocol.
He reveals the book of accepted
phrases for ATC use, saying that
there is less “misunderstanding”
than when responding to models
or human phrases. ”Students are
pushed to use the right words early
on in their studies. They start with
common tasks then move on to the
big tower simulator.”
Students in the aviation program
are encouraged to pursue additional
courses in mathematics and
computer science. “Sometimes it
takes 18 months to make it into
the FAA school,” Eichelberger notes.
“The biggest challenge for everyone
is keeping up with policy changes
and technology changes. We can’t
send a student to the FAA training
with old information.”
After completing the FAA school,
most students get jobs in the
aviation industry, working directly
for the FAA or another corporate
or manufacturing company. Cinthia
Fuentes, a recent graduate of the
CCBC aviation and air traffic control
program, shares that becoming an
ATC realized her lifelong fascination
with flying. “Air traffic controllers play
a critical role in the skies,” she says.
“I learned that ATCs must work as
a team, even though you take care
of your own assigned section. The
tower simulation gives us practice
time, and we practice a lot.”
That practice was worth it,
as she aced the Air Traffic Skills
Assessment (ATSA) test, which
measures cognitive skills in memory,
reading comprehension and basic
aptitude skills, allowing no more
than three errors.
“It’s such an important job,”
Eichelberger says. “Individuals
have to be extraordinary. This is
the place to learn. They come to
the community college, find these
courses and see that they can do it.”
University of Maryland
Ups Its Online Game
Online classes have been
available for decades and are now
common place. At University of
Maryland, the online classes are
evolving to sessions that are more
entertaining and closer to the “real
thing” of being in person.
Paulo Prochno, clinical professor
at the school, says the newly
renovated Van Munching Hall,
which houses the Robert H. Smith
Julie Manley, director of SheCare Wellness Pods, Dr. Beverly O’Bryant, Dean of CSU College of Behavioral & Social Sciences, Dr. Rolande Murray, Interim Assistant VP for
Academic Affairs, Taraji P. Henson, actress, filmmaker, and Boris L. Henson Foundation Founder, Dr. Anthony Jenkins, CSU President, Tracie Jade Jenkins, Boris L. Henson
Foundation Executive Director, and Taryn Bird, Executive Director, Social Impact, Kate Spade New York
SheCare Wellness Pod locker room
School of Business, affords students
the benefits of active learning
classrooms, and instructors can
enhance course content by using a
virtual teaching studio. “These make
up a whole layout of technology,”
Prochno notes. “The faculty was
always in a regular Zoom setting.
Now, there is a virtual studio
available for online classes. It’s like
a TV studio. It changes the way we
teach online.”
The active learning classroom
offers state-of-the-art technology
capabilities and feedback ability
that far surpasses traditional Zoom
classes. The studio space allows
the instructors to stand and to move
around as they are teaching. “The Student muralist, Veronica Ishii, with Taraji P. Henson
instructors are rethinking how they
present material online. We can
see the chat on the big-screen, from championing a new technology
and we can also see the students’ or handling a high-stress job, female
reactions.” The most current high- students at Coppin State University
tech electronic devices – three (CSU) are being encouraged to
giant-screen displays, light board, put their health at the top of their
feedback monitor and chat capability “to do” list. It’s been two years in
on the big screen – contribute to the the making but it’s now a reality,
“wow” factor. Prochno says there says Julie Manley, director of the
is even a green screen that the “SheCare” Wellness Pods program
instructors can use to insert visuals at CSU. After expressing interest in
into the presentation.
the Wellness Pods, Coppin State
The virtual classroom can handle University was selected as the fourth
42-52 students for synchronous – HBCU to receive funding from the
simultaneous, real time – classes. For Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation
now. Prochno says the constantly and Kate Spade New York to support
changing technology will be a programming for female students.
challenge for everyone, but a tech
She notes that CSU was chosen
person is available for every class to basedonitscommitmentandtradition
help navigate any new technology.
of mental health and wellness. “Our
resources are embedded into the
“SheCare Pods” Wellness Program campus. We are the first to have an
Debuts at Coppin State University indoor space, which allows yearWith all the stress that comes
round programming. Other HBCU
pods are all outdoors.”
Located inside Coppin’s health
and human services building, the
pods are the basis of separate
spaces dedicated to active
integrative wellness classes like
yoga, meditation, art therapy and
sound bath therapy. “Rest” pods
feature comfortable seating and
an atmosphere for decompression
and recharging. They may also be
scheduled for students who want
to meet virtually with clinicians
and mental health professionals
participating in the Boris L. Henson’s
“Meeting You Where You Are”
initiative.
“We
are
normalizing
the
importance of mental wellness. We
want our students to know seeking
help is a sign of strength and they
are not alone in their mental health
journey. Students can come alone
or bring a friend. This program is
designed to improve the academic
outcome for students through being
more intentional,” says Manley.
After a ribbon-cutting ceremony
on May 2, the school is preparing
wellness programming for the
Summer
Academic
Success
Academy (SASA) and is looking
toward additional funding for
programs for men at the university.
Manley concludes, “Our students
feel so fortunate that they were the
recipients of the wellness pods. It’s
a sanctuary for them,” says Manley.
