“The students got to see how they could actually apply what they are learning in school,” she said.
The Engineering Innovation program has been held for more than seven years at Johns Hopkins but has expanded to satellite locations in recent years. Phone and Games was a new program that will be offered again this year with updated Android devices for students to code.
Alex Demana participated in Engineering Innovation last summer after graduating from Springfield High School and said the biggest benefit was early exposure to college-level coursework.
He’s in his first year as an engineering student at The Ohio State University and previously was nervous about jumping into that curriculum.
“I had no idea what to expect,” he said.
The program gave him a glimpse of his future. He’s currently a pre-biomedical engineering major, but may be exploring other types of engineering. Ultimately he’d like to work in a bio-mechanics lab, designing prosthetics or assisted living devices.
His favorite project over the summer was designing and building a “mousetrap” that could trap and hold a ping-pong ball.
The students worked in teams to brainstorm design ideas, build prototypes and then design and test a final model. When they found flaws they had to back up and fix them.
Demana liked the teamwork aspect of that challenge and felt it was a good example of how engineers work in the real world.
For high school junior Beth Lenz, the most engaging project was one in which students had to program a circuit to get a car to follow a flashlight.
But the best part of the camp overall was the visit to the Johns Hopkins campus in Baltimore.
“That was an experience I never would have had… and it’s one I’ll never forget,” she said. The visit set the bar for the type of experience she’s looking for as she applies to schools.
While for some, the camp inspired or reinforced a pursuit of STEM disciplines beyond high school, Lenz said it actually helped her to see that while she enjoys the field, her true passions lie elsewhere.
“It’s not where my talent is located,” she said. She wants to pursue a career in publishing instead.
Engineering Innovation will be held for four-weeks beginning June 27.
Applicants must be in grades nine through 12 in Clark County and have completed biology or chemistry and a math class involving sines, cosines and tangents. They must have earned at least a B in all math and science classes.
Interested students will also need to write an essay and be recommended by a math or science teacher.
Engineering Innovation students will receive three credits from Johns Hopkins University if they earn a grade of B or higher.
“That speaks volumes for their resumes (applying for college),” Hall said.
Phone and Games will be held June 27 through July 1 and is open to Clark County students in grades six through eight.
Students will get to create working phone apps and present them during a symposium.
Applications for both programs will be available on Clark State's website, and at area schools. Both will accept 24 students.
Engineering Innovation applications will be accepted beginning Feb. 1 and Phone and Games on March 1.
The programs are offered at no charge to students thanks to local benefactor Rosalyn Bullock.
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