Marquette College of Engineering Outreach offers seven new programs for children in summer 2009 academies

Children between the ages of 6 and 18 are invited to participate in Marquette University’s annual summer Engineering Academy.  Seven new programs are being added, in addition to the popular programs offered last year by Marquette’s College of Engineering. Through hands-on experiments, students will enter the world of robotics, electronics and engineering with engaging instructors.

The new programs include:

 “The Science of Toys,” ages 6-10

July 6-7, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Students learn to think and work as scientists do with tops, LEGOS, and soda bottle rocket launchers.

 “The Ultimate LEGO Experience,” ages 7-14

July 6-10, 9 a.m. to noon

Utilizing LEGOS, students build motorized walkers, solar-powered cars, windmill generators, pneumatic hands and Mindstorms robots.

 “Civil Engineering,” ages 8-16

July 6-10, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Students construct bridges, towers and other structures of balsa wood, then test their integrity to the breaking point. Buildings they construct will be tested on an earthquake simulator.  They’ll design “green” buildings and learn how to conserve energy.

 “Fun with 3D Computer-Aided-Design: An Introduction to Pro/ENGINEER,” ages 12-18

July 13-16, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Companies like Sony, Harley Davidson, Ferrari and Dell all have one thing in common; they all use Pro/ENGINEER design software. Students will learn how to build 3-Dimensional computer models as they design airplanes and cars.

 “Mechanical Engineering,” ages 8-16

July 13-17, 9 a.m. to noon

There are three parts to this new course: Catapults – construct and test trebuchet, mousetrap, and pneumatic catapults; Physics of cars – build cars powered by air, rubber bands, motors and propellers; Energy – construct models of solar and wind generators, learn about green building technologies and explore the energy of car crashes.

 “Electrical Engineering – A Shocking Experience,” ages 10-16

July 13-17, 9 a.m. to noon

Students build simple circuits using a household doorbell system and learn to use a multimeter. They use LEGOS to build motorized mechanisms.  Included is a kit to build devices using electronic components such as transistors, capacitors, resistors and timers.

“The Greatest Secret on Earth,” ages 13-18

July 21-22, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Students explore why water is the most precious resource in the world and how we can take care of it. This includes performing tests to gather data and analyze the quality of water.

In addition to the new academies, students will be able to register for programs offered last year. These popular courses include designing LEGO Mindstorms NXT and RCX robots, investigating the macromolecular properties of plastic, understanding renewable energy and learning the mechanics of engineering. There are also special sessions aimed at girls ages 6-18. A registration form and complete list of programs for summer 2009 are available on the Marquette University College of Engineering Web site. All engineering academies have limits on class size, and applicants are enrolled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Age ranges are recommendations only.

The costs of the academies range from $150 to $199. For more information, call 414-288-6720.