Pre-Engineering Summer Programs Inspire the Great Minds of Tomorrow
This summer, high school juniors and seniors from all over the Chicago area were inspired by instructors from Armour College of Engineering during pre-engineering courses held at Illinois Institute of Technology’s Mies and Rice Campuses. The program was developed to provide an opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to explore their interest in engineering on a deeper level with the option to gain college credit.
Six different course modules were offered including: Introduction to the World of Engineering, Introduction to Biomedical Engineering, Introduction to Civil Engineering, Introduction to Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Sustainability Engineering, and Introduction to Robotics and Automation.
The modules defined what it means to be an engineer and offered a cutting edge look at the current state of engineering. Certain modules would delve deep into a specific branch or area of engineering to offer students a closer look. Innovative new ideas were explored in areas such as sustainability, robotics, biomedical engineering, and rapid prototyping and manufacturing.
Students met seven hours a day, four days a week for two weeks. They participated in hands-on activities, gained insight from guest speakers, and completed engineering challenges individually and in small teams.
In one activity, students learned to use electrophysiology laboratory equipment and software to measure and analyze their own heart, muscle, and brain electrical signals by connecting each other to the machines and analyzing the signals. In another, participants learned how to use 3D printers to demonstrate how rapid manufacturing and prototyping are being used to drive innovation in engineering. The students also built their own circuits using Arduinos and programmed robots to better understand how engineers from all disciplines use automation and robotics to control everyday devices.
Armour College of Engineering is excited to offer these courses to inspire the great minds of tomorrow and to further promote the importance of STEM education at the high school level. If you are interested in providing your son or daughter with excellent insight into the world of engineering by participating in the program next year, sign up for our mailing list.
