Teens Explore Tech at IEEE TryEngineering Summer Camp

IEEE TryEngineering Summer Instituteas one student participant says, “allowed me to gain new experiences and understand different types of engineering disciplines, as well as make many good friends and memories that will stay with me.”

Under control IEEE Educational ActivitiesThe institute is a nine-day summer camp for students aged 13 to 17 years. It provides a fun and exciting approach to learning. education. Students participate in hands-on activities, speak with engineers, and take field trips to learn about real-life problems and solutions.

Launched in 2018, the summer institute is held annually at a number of universities in the United States. The program this year took place on five campuses: University of Pennsylvaniain Philadelphia; Rice Universityin Houston; That University of San Diego; That Georgia Techin Atlanta; And Colombiathe newest location, organized in partnership with National Student Leadership Conference (NSLK).

In the first year, more than 80 students took part. This year 311 people took part.

Students studied current technologies, including artificial intelligence And microcontrollers. They also took a deep dive into the ethical issues engineers face, what to expect when pursuing higher education, and what a career in STEM looks like.

Here's a quick recap of what happened in each location.

University of Pennsylvania

The Penn State campus provided students with a range of historical and cultural experiences. Participants visited Franklin Institutewhere an IEEE volunteer explained some of the technologies on display at the science center.

Speaker from Philadelphia International Airport shared what engineers are doing to save one of the busiest cities in the US airports works smoothly.

Engineers from Salesforce described the importance of creative problem solving and expanding the use of technology across industries. The company provides cloud software.

“TryEngineering is a fantastic place to learn about all aspects of engineering.” —participant of the Summer Institute

The students also attended several practical sessions on various technologies and engineering fields.

“I liked the microcontroller lessons the most,” said one participant, “because I was able to combine my computer programming skills with my friend's electrical skills to create something I couldn't do on my own.

“This program is an opportunity to explore different branches of technology.”

Rice University

Rice students met with faculty and developed solutions to several engineering problems, such as creating and testing bridge and airframe structures.

IN bridge challengeStudents built the structure using balsa wood and glue, then tested its strength by adding weight until it collapsed. glider challenge showed students how to build and test aircraft structures.

“I enjoyed these assignments because they were fun and competitive, helping us develop more critical thinking and teamwork skills,” said one student. Another said that working with the team and creating something “was a cool experience, even if we failed.”

The highlight for many students was the visits Salesforce And BP engineers who spoke about the importance of an engineering mindset, regardless of industry.

Students spent the day visiting NASA Johnson Space Center. In addition to the behind-the-scenes tour, they were able to meet with exes astronautswho explained the engineering design of their rockets and gave career advice.

University of San Diego

USD students built gliders and tested their designs. They also worked in groups to find a solution to the problem. toxic popcorn challengewhich included developing a product and process to safely remove malicious kernels. The students also took a tour Qualcommheadquarters.

“TryEngineering is a fantastic place to learn about all aspects of engineering,” said one participant, calling the program “an invaluable resource, especially for students who don’t have access to engineering classes or robotics team at their school.”

The camp took place in New York offered students the opportunity to participate in leadership classes in addition to practical training through an NSLC partnership.

Students visited Joint Base McGuire-Dix Lakehurst in New Jersey. US members Air Force And Marines introduced students to the latest technologies used in rescue operations. Participants explored helicopters and flew away drones during their visit.

They also had the opportunity to study American Museum of Natural History And Times Square in Manhattan.

“I enjoyed the program, the campus, the staff, my classmates and the activities,” said one student.

Thanks to support from Georgia Tech Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Space Grant Consortium, IEEE Technical Activitiesand industry partners, 20 Georgia high school students were able to attend the event. TryEngineering Summer Institute is free. Students remained on the Georgia Tech campus and attended classes at the Guggenheim Museum. aerospace engineering laboratory and every evening participated in the life of residential buildings.

Students were asked to design, build and test a robotic boat capable of delivering humanitarian care packages (imitated with plastic balls). Georgia Tech Students and teachers acted as mentors throughout the process and helped students build the boats. TryEngineering participants were taught to think critically and solve problems. They also learned to work with Arduino.

Georgia Tech Summer Institute students in Atlanta are preparing to try out their robotic boat designs in a hands-on engineering challenge.Georgia Space Grant Consortium

Students presented their boat prototypes to parents and teachers, explained how they solved problems, and discussed challenges they encountered along the way.

When the students were not working on the boat, they participated in team-building exercises and other educational activities.

They also visited Accentureoffices near campus and met with industry professionals.

Engineers from Siemens visited students to discuss STEM career paths.

The highlight was the trip to… Delta Flight Museum near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Participants learned about the history of aviation and toured the museum’s hangars.

Students from all campuses participated in the search for innovative solutions. group activity. Each team of students identifies an engineering problem and a possible solution. Problems included ways increase the mobility of older people improving water quality in the park. Using the engineering design process, participating teams developed a design and prototype for their solution.

They then prepared a presentation and presented their solution to a team of volunteer judges from IEEE Educational Activities coordinating committee of pre-university education. Participants made recommendations to young engineers and rated projects based on perceived demand for the final product or service, students' passion for their project, design, and the style and effectiveness of their presentation. The best team received a prize.

IEEE technical societies and other donors

A critical component of the Summer Institute is the provision of scholarships for participation in the program through IEEE Foundation Educational Activities Scholarship Fund.

IEEE societies and councils that provided funding to 45 students include Computational Intelligence, Computer, Electronics packaging, Industrial Applications, Ocean engineering, Photonics, Power and Energy, Power electronics, Robotics and automation, Signal ProcessingAnd Solid State Circuits society.

Their support allowed more students to participate in the program and strengthened Role of IEEE in shaping future innovators and leaders.

“Before I went to summer camp, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be an engineer,” one said. scholarship the recipient said. “But after my wonderful experience in IEEE TryEngineering Summer Institute, I am confident that this will be the right career path for me.”

Another recipient said, “Now that I have mastered all the engineering disciplines, I am better educated in the field as a whole. I have all the information needed to choose a specific field in which to pursue a career.”

“To the people who funded my scholarship, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. The only reason I was able to experience a beautiful city in California and become more independent while staying in a college dorm is because of you.”