Maverick Engineering Social Media

Engineering and Computer Science Summer Camp Program

Current projections indicate that the United States needs 100,000 new engineers each year, but only 65,000 will graduate from the nation's colleges of engineering. A task force has concluded that the nation's colleges must double the number of high-tech graduates over the next 12 years to meet future demands. Clearly, industry and academia need to encourage more young people to consider engineering as a career and more young people need to prepare themselves for college-level academic challenges. This effort must focus on middle, junior high and senior high school students, so that they enroll in the prerequisite mathematics and science courses in high school. It is the only successful path to a career in engineering.

To address this issue, the College of Engineering partnered with the Arlington Independent School District in the summer of 1998 to develop a highly innovative, in-residence summer program called Gateway to Engineering, designed for 7th and 8th grade students. The Bridge to Engineering Camps for 9th and 10th grade students were added the following year.

Our goal is to capture campers' curiosity and develop their natural interests. A strong feature of the camps is the intent to serve all students of the state, which requires a special emphasis on attracting students from populations typically under-represented in engineering and computer science, e.g., ethnic minorities and women. And, of course, an optimal use of camp resources is targeting students who already demonstrate an above-average interest, motivation and ability in mathematics, science and engineering.

A common thread is the exploration of the many interesting aspects of engineering and science as well as a broad exposure to a variety of engineering disciplines. Participating in team design / build project competitions, viewing and conducting laboratory demonstrations, and talking with professors and current engineering students excited about their work nurtures an existing interest, provides direct connections to role models and, in many cases, makes clear that a career in engineering and computer science is within reach. Another important feature of the camps is that they are fun.

We have the personnel and facilities required to conduct the camps, but we're prohibited from spending state funds on the program. We have to rely on the thoughtful financial support from generous businesses and individuals. Finding these sources is a constant issue in efforts to keep enrollment fees within range of those being served.