UTA students lead STEM merit badge workshop
One of the most recognizable features of Scouting, other than the Eagle Scout, is the merit badge, offered in more than 140 skills ranging from outdoor adventures to vocations to hobbies.
The University of Texas at Arlington’s College of Engineering and its student chapter of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu recently helped 129 North Texas Scouts earn engineering-related merit badges by hosting an all-day workshop in partnership with Scouting America.
“The preparation was tough, but it was worth it to see these kids excited about learning STEM subjects,” said Andris Weaver, a senior electrical engineering student who spearheaded the effort. “Hopefully, they’ll be interested enough that they’ll decide to pursue a degree at UTA in a few years.”
Scouts could choose from badges in AI, engineering, electronics, nuclear science, robotics, electricity, digital technology and programming, facilitated by 63 UTA student volunteers. Nuclear science, robotics and engineering were the most popular choices, and every Scout completed the requirements to earn a badge.
Not every Scout finished on time. Weaver and several volunteers stayed late to help a young girl who was in tears because her robot wasn’t working. They spent an extra two hours helping her troubleshoot the problem and test components before sending her home with a working robot.
“It was a cool event, but that last personal moment where that girl went from tears to working through the problem and leaving with a smile on her face? That made everything worth it,” Weaver said.
Weaver, who was never a Scout himself, came up with the idea of a merit badge workshop last year. After a chance meeting with Las Vegas Council Director Peter Jensen at the IEEE Rising Stars conference in Las Vegas, he connected with Scouting America’s James Clark in Texas.
Clark said Scouting is known for camping activities, but less so for its educational experiences, making the opportunity to partner with UTA on the workshop especially meaningful.
“We wanted to showcase Scouting's ability to bring together community partners and provide youth with an educational experience around the STEM fields,” Clark said. “Scouting is more than going into the woods and setting up tents. That is what we showed with this event. We teach leadership, character development and much more through various activities. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu and the College of Engineering to make this an annual event.”
- Jeremy Agor, College of Engineering
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 300,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.