I had the opportunity to speak with a great group of students from the New Jersey Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology—a summer program for high-achieving high school students. Students in the program complete a set of challenging courses while working in small groups on real-world research and design projects that relate to the field of engineering.

Governor’s School students are mentored by professional engineers as well as Rutgers University honors students and professors, and they often work with companies and organizations to solve real engineering problems. The team of students I talked with partnered with Silver Line by Andersen, a leading U.S. manufacturer of vinyl windows and a subsidiary of Andersen Corp., to assess the manufacturer’s processes and identify possible improvements. The students took on the role of Silver Line industrial engineers and looked for opportunities to boost productivity and decrease costs.

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