September 19, 2011

Nine new academies highlight Marquette College of Engineering outreach programs

Weekend academies range from movie making to LEGO robots competitions

Marquette University’s College of Engineering is offering nine new weekend academies for students ages 8 through 18. The College of Engineering outreach program promotes interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through fun, hands-on problem-solving activities.

The college will offer a total of 12 programs between October and January. Popular academies using LEGO Mindstorm robots, along with programs just for girls, are joined by new academies where students will have the opportunity to use LEGOs to create a movie, to build and test a replacement joint and to bend light.

The Engineering Outreach Program encourages all students, regardless of age, race or gender, to study engineering. A complete list of academies is available on the College of Engineering website, with fees ranging between $40 and $150. All programs have class size limits, and enrollment is first-come, first-served. Online registration is available. For additional information or questions please contact the College of Engineering at (414) 288-3517 or engineering@marquette.edu.

A selection of the new academies being offered:

STEMming Science with Becca: Waves of Sound and Light
Oct. 1, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Grades 4-6
The nature and motion of light and sound waves are explored in this STEMming Science academy. Using lasers, soundboards, and other technologies, students learn how to bend light and alter sound, and how audio and light engineers use similar concepts in their careers. Our STEMming programs offer the opportunity for students to enjoy multiple academies with the same instructor throughout the fall and spring sessions. Participants are encouraged to register for multiple sessions with Becca, a Marquette undergraduate in the College of Engineering. 


Stop Action: Bring your LEGOS to Life
Oct. 8 and 15, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Grades 3-8
LEGO characters and flying machines come to life in an intergalactic space-zone movie during this academy. Tim Decker, an animator who worked on TV shows including the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks” and “The Simpsons,” shares his expertise with students as they experiment with stop motion animation techniques using point-and-shoot cameras. Participants will design and build a backdrop set to complete their LEGO worlds and they are encouraged to bring their favorite LEGO mini-figure to star in the movie. This is a two-day academy.

Introduction to 3D CAD with Autodesk Inventor
Oct. 15 and 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Grades 6-12
Three-dimensional computer aided design is an essential engineering skill for new product development. 3D CAD is also an important part of many competitive design programs in high schools and college curriculums. In this class students learn how to create 3D CAD designs for air planes, cars and transformers using Autodesk Inventor, the same software currently used in many high school and college classes, including Project Lead The Way high school curriculums. This is a two-day academy.

Nanobots, Knees and Neurons: The World of Biomedical Engineering
Nov. 19, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Grades 7-12
Did you know that people have created microscopic devices small enough to fit inside the cells of your body?  Or that entire body parts are routinely swapped out with man-made replacements? Students are introduced to the amazing world of biomedical engineering by exploring the human skeletal system and designing a “replacement joint” that will be tested for durability and investigate the electrical nature of the human nervous system and see how electrical circuits operate. Finally, participants explore the smallest parts of living organisms and extract DNA from an onion.