BlackboardLocal Middle School Summer Camp Visits the College of Engineering
A group of about 20 middle school students, who attend Tallahassee's School of Arts and Sciences (SAS), visited the Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering as part of a weeklong summer camp designed to introduce them to a number of careers in the sciences. Science teacher, Julie Sear, who coordinated the visit with Alicia Morey, Director of Student Services at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, stated, "The goal of these visits is to get my kids excited about science ... seeing what real-world science is like and doing hands-on activities when possible. I use science current events as a regular part of my curriculum and want them to see what's happening right in their own town."
Upon arrival, Ms. Morey introduced the students and Ms. Sear to Dr. Bruce Harvey, Associate Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Dr. Harvey started their College tour with a "show and tell" of the solar and hybrid cars that were built by teams of engineering students. Two of the electrical engineering students from the hybrid car project, Mark Church and Nathan Scott, spoke with the students about how they built the car and then demonstrated how the car worked.
Dr. Harvey also showed them the Digital Logic Lab and led a discussion about how technology is innovating and changing so much today that by the time the visiting middle school students are in college, computing for them may be a completely different experience.
The tour continued at the High Performance Materials Institute (HPMI) at the Materials Research Building located less than half a mile northwest of the College. Mr. Jim Horne, a senior engineer with the industrial engineering department, led the tour of HPMI. Mr. Horne talked about the research being conducted at HPMI using nanotubes and composite materials in making, for example, stronger, lighter airplanes and bulletproof vests. The highlight of the tour for the students was getting their picture taken sitting in the hybrid car.
"Ms. Sear asked her students what kind of career they would choose if they had to, right at that moment, and while only a couple of them named engineering, all but two students names careers in the sciences that they had learned about during their week of camp." Alicia Morey remarked. "Ms. Sear later contacted me to express her thanks and in her own words, ‘... for helping us set up this amazing experience.’"
Here are some comments from the kids, provided by Ms. Sear, to let everyone involved know how much the students enjoyed their tour of the College:
"The tour was really cool and very interesting!" - Miller
"Thank you. I want to be an engineer!" - Joseph
"The tour was great. I loved the composite airplane!" - Nick
"Bucky paper rules!"
"The cars were cool. I wish I could drive one!"
"So many cool things!"
"I liked sitting in the car!" - Zola
"I ‘heart’ the hybrid cars!" - Melainee
"Engineering is really cool!" - Reace
"I learned so much. Thank you!" - Leigha
"Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to show us the solar and electric cars!" - Elizabeth
Photos courtesy of Ms. Julie Sear, School of Arts and Sciences (SAS)
