This June, the mechanical engineering department will offer middle and high school students the opportunity to nurture and discover their interest in science, technology, engineering, and computing in a unique summer camp setting.
“Our overarching goal is to demonstrate that engineering and science careers are not only attainable, but also rewarding and fun,” said Assistant Professor of Practice Sam Bechara.
The CSU Mechanical Engineering Summer Camp programs are week-long, project-based learning programs that are designed to target students of all interest and skill levels. At the completion of each camp, each student will have designed, wired, and programmed a device that converges engineering principles with do-it-yourself techniques in a fun and engaging way. The department estimates that over 120 students will participate in the inaugural summer camp session and predicts that as many as 500 students will participate in just a few years.
“We hypothesize that these camps will have a positive impact on the community by encouraging more women and individuals from underrepresented populations to pursue engineering and science degrees,” Bechara added.
Four camp options
Students will choose from four different engineering camps: DIY Muscle Car, MATLAB Mastery, Girls Academic Leadership Summer Camp (GALS Camp), and Bioengineering Bootcamp.
DIY Muscle Car: This course is intended for students interested in learning about mechanical and electrical engineering principles and how to apply those principles to construct a custom radio-controlled car. Students will create an RC car that they control with their muscles! Throughout the week, students will learn about electronics, how to program an Arduino micro-controller, how to send signals over radio, and how to interpret muscle activation.
MATLAB Mastery: MATLAB Mastery is a comprehensive introduction to MATLAB for technical computing. Students are not required to have any prior programming or MATLAB experience. The course will introduce MATLAB through extensive examples from physics, engineering, and mathematics to provide students in these fields with tools that may be directly applied to their future coursework and scientific careers.
Girls Academic Leadership Summer Camp (GALS Camp): The objective of this camp is to introduce young women to exciting careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Participants will tour our world-class research facilities and meet with the female faculty and graduate students who run them. Each day of the camp also includes a presentation from a female scientist or engineer who will share their personal experiences as a female in their field.
Bioengineering Bootcamp: This course is intended for students interested in learning about engineering principles and how they apply to human physiology in a fun, hands-on environment. Specifically, students will make an electrocardiogram (ECG). Throughout the week, participants will learn about human physiology, how to program an Arduino microcontroller, and how to read and interpret the electrical activity of the heart.
For additional details and to register visit the mechanical engineering website: http://www.engr.colostate.edu/me/summercamps/
A discount is available for CSU employees. Visit the Commitment to Campus website for details: https://commitmenttocampus.colostate.edu/