Programming traffic signals and working on rocket projects are just a couple of the engaging projects students are working on during the annual School of Engineering (SOE) Summer Camp at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, sponsored by Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery.
The School is hosting two separate weeklong summer campus for high school students. Students on campus this week are participating in the second session, which began Sunday, June 12 and will end on Friday, June 17. The first camp ran from Sunday, June 5-Friday, June 10.
“We want to open up a world of engineering possibilities to students and let them know that SIUE is a great place to learn and discover, said Chris Gordon, associate dean of the SIUE School of Engineering and Summer Camp director. “The camps are designed to provide our students with hands-on experience in the world of engineering and provide a taste of college life at SIUE.
“We welcomed 55 students from six states in these two camps,” Gordon added. “In the past five years, campers from 12 states have participated in our summer camps. We have especially enjoyed seeing 17 previous campers return to SIUE in the past year to begin their studies. This shows the value of the camp experience in attracting talented students and in helping them t identify and pursue their goals.”
Other activities that campers have participated in include:
- Tours of Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery and discussions with the company’s engineers
- Programming robots
- Working on hovercrafts
- Building water filters and circuits
- Developing four-dimensional construction projects
“Our campers also worked with engineers from MiTek to design and then test trusses using MiTek structural engineering software and connectors,” Gordon said. "They were able to see how engineers aproach problems and then see how designs perform at full scale."
Continuing its instrumental sponsorship of the engineering summer camps is the Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery.
“This major sponsorship supported incorporation of new equipment and activities that continue to bring the most informative and valuable experiences to our campers,” Gordon said. “The company also provided 13 scholarships to campers, who would not otherwise have been able to participate. Through our partnership, we have crafted a unique set of experiences that will inform our campers about the wealth of opportunity ahead of them in these fields."
Photos:
Involved in his robotics project is Sebastian Sirais of Springfield, with Ethan Bening of Okawville observing.
Emmy Pruitt of Godfrey works to complete her robotic device.