When investigating summer camp options for your daughter, it’s important to consider and encourage her interests, especially if she shows an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

An engineering summer camp is the ideal environment for nurturing your daughter’s interest in STEM. An engineering summer camp like the TryEngineering Summer Institute will provide opportunities to participate in hands-on design challenges, meet real-life engineers, and visit engineering workplaces to see what it would really be like to work in the field of engineering.

1. Because they can! The stereotype that girls aren’t interested in STEM is just that, a stereotype. Girls need to be exposed to engineering early on so they can make informed decisions when choosing their career paths. Early exposure to engineering and STEM can also boost confidence, and help shape them into leaders!

 

2. Because engineering needs more women. According to the United States Census, in 1970, 8% of the STEM workforce consisted of women. As of 2019, that number has only increased to a mere 27%. Despite now making up nearly half of the overall United States workforce, women are still vastly underrepresented in the STEM workforce.

3. Because engineering provides diverse career opportunities. The field of engineering includes several different disciplines, like mechanical, electrical, and software, just to name a few. Engineering summer camps like the TryEngineering Summer Institute offer a look into several different engineering career paths!

4. Because the next big thing could be made by a girl! New technologies are developed every day, but if only one group of people is responsible for creating solutions and innovations, those technologies may not be the best they can be. That is why diversity in the field of engineering is so important.

 

Don’t wait to encourage your daughter to pursue her engineering dreams! Registration for the 2024 TryEngineering Summer Institute program is now open. Learn more and enroll today!

The TryEngineering Summer Institute is an inspiration in so many ways, helping students find their calling in the wonderful world of engineering. From design challenges to dorm living, students will experience life on a college campus, get their feet wet in a promising field, and meet new friends who care about the same things they do!

 

For a glimpse of what you or your teen will experience this summer, check out these ten things you might find at one of our locations, and register today — space is limited!

 

10: Hands-on engineering lessons.
Getting hands on with a project is the best way to learn!

 

9: Supportive fellow students.
Students will meet like-minded peers, and will work together and push each other to succeed!

 

8: Experience on a college campus. A glimpse of what college life will look like after highschool!

 

7: Superb story tellers. Each campus will feature guest speakers from the world of engineering, who will inspire students and give insight to the field!

6: Leadership experience.
Students will work in small groups, and will assign leadership roles to each person.

 

5: Sunny outings.
Students will have a chance to participate in off campus outings to explore the surrounding area.

 

4: Time out for recreational activities.
Students will have access to on-campus facilities during their downtime, and can participate in sports and other activities!

 

3: Photo-worthy field trips.

Students will attend exclusive field trips to top engineering companies and centers, for a glimpse at what their future could look like.

 

2: Lifelong friendships.

Many past students are still in contact with their peers through social media. Some have even returned as staff years later! 

 

1: The experience of a lifetime.
Students will have the experience of a lifetime as they forge friendships, participate in hands-on projects, and learn from industry experts.

 

 

 

Engineering students will learn about engineering, of course. But they also gain skills that become transferable to a host of other careers – some that may not even utilize the direct application of engineering principles!

An education in engineering teaches core skills that are highly employable across many different industries and professions. Therefore, employers are consistently interested in recruiting graduates of engineering programs.

When you explore or expand your education in engineering at the TryEngineering Summer Institute, you’ll be well on your way to developing these employable skills:

• Effective communication. By learning to present ideas in a confident, professional manner, engineering programs like the Institute prepare you for future communications with colleagues, bosses and the community.
• Competence in application and practice. As an engineering student, you’ll learn how to properly utilize engineering techniques, as well as relevant tools and programs.
• Interpersonal and teamwork skills. One of the most highly transferable employment skills you’ll develop is the ability to function effectively within a team and as a leader.
• Problem solving skills. You’ll learn to identify problems, use logic and reasoning to identify solutions, and use objectivity when approaching implementation of solutions.
• Understanding professional, social and ethical responsibilities. As a professional in any field, commitment to these principles is key.
• Lifelong learning. Engineering students are taught the importance of lifelong learning and acquiring new knowledge and skills to benefit your career.

Don’t wait to develop these skills. Registration for the 2024 TryEngineering Summer Institute program is now open. Learn more and enroll today!

 

Although we tend to focus on the very important engineering and technology education and on-campus living experience that TryEngineering Summer Institute students receive, our program is about so much more! It’s also about the deep personal growth students experience and take with them into the future.

Students who attend TryEngineering Summer Institute:

1. Grow more independent: While well-supervised during their time away from home, teens at TryEngineering Summer Institute also practice making decisions for themselves. Having the ability to manage their daily choices in a safe environment helps them blossom in new ways.
2. Practice compromise: Living with someone new in a dorm room and with an entirely new community in the residence halls gives students the opportunity to meet people with different points of view and life experiences. This creates opportunities for students to practice compromise and grow in their interactions with others.
3. Make new friends: Free from the social expectations of a school environment, kids can relax and make friends a little more easily. They’ll meet people with similar interests to share their TryEngineering Summer Institute experiences with, and perhaps become lifelong friends. In fact, many former students tell us that they’re still in touch with the friends they made last year!
4. Acquire collaboration and presentation skills: Our curriculum includes plenty of opportunities for students to work together and present their projects to others. Learning to collaborate and present their ideas will help them in their future interactions at home and school, as well as in future work environments. 
5. Learn about degree and career options: More than just hands-on engineering design challenges, TryEngineering Summer Institute students also learn about the degree and career options available in the engineering field. Engineering offers many job options and a strong career path with huge growth potential. Students that attend get a taste of a very bright future that is available to them.

Don’t let your child miss out on this amazing educational experience! It’s perfect for those with an interest in engineering, as well as anyone who is just beginning to explore this fascinating field.

Registration is now open. Learn more and register for the TryEngineering Summer Institute today!

Research shows that up to 80 percent of jobs in the future will require STEM skills. Yet the best schools are increasingly competitive, making it difficult for students to get the education they need to succeed in STEM careers. For example, Stanford’s acceptance rate is only 4 percent. MIT only accepts 4.8 percent of applicants. And Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering’s acceptance rate is just 19 percent.

While good grades and test scores represent the top factors in student selection, guidance counselors say that colleges look hard at extracurricular activities too, particularly those engaged in over the summer. For a teenager who is considering engineering as a career, participating in an engineering summer camp like TryEngineering Summer Institute that exposes a student to a number of engineering disciplines brings multiple benefits.

• Hands-On Experience: When students get the chance to try a number of engineering disciplines at summer camp, just for the fun of it, it can help them to choose an engineering discipline to study in college. In turn, this can lead students to become more focused in their course selection and activities leading up to college, all of which may be appealing to college admissions officers.
• Increased Confidence and Interview Skills: Multiple studies have shown that students who participate in summer camp experiences with new groups of people develop stronger social-emotional skills that can aid with everything from academic success to college interviews.
• Preparation for Campus Living: High school students who spend two weeks at engineering camp on a college campus during the summer are better prepared for the realities of college living. The freedom that they experience helps them learn how to make more mature choices, which better prepares them for college and future success.
• Enhanced College Admissions Opportunities: As colleges with strong engineering programs consider the applications of many qualified students, those students who can demonstrate a prolonged interest and experience in engineering often have an advantage. Few experiences can match a two-week engineering camp on a college campus. This shows college admissions officers that not only is the student motivated, but also is better prepared for life and success at college.

TryEngineering Summer Institute is a two-week co-ed residential summer engineering program for rising 8th through 12th grade students held at three premier colleges and universities across the United States. Students work in teams with other students, interact with professional engineers, and learn about cutting-edge research done at the host schools by current graduate students.

Students participate in a broad range of hands-on activities throughout their two weeks on campus, including building and launching rockets and working in teams to solve engineering design challenges such as building a robotic arm out of everyday materials, and designing and soldering working circuits. The students experience problem-solving and troubleshooting, and gain insight on what it is like to study engineering in a college atmosphere. Students explore many engineering disciplines, including electrical, civil, mechanical, chemical, and aerospace, and see how engineers work in teams to solve global challenges.

Learn more about enrolling in the TryEngineering Summer Institute on one of our four campuses this summer!