Grainger, MechSE camps back in action after hiatus

The Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering Program (WYSE) at The Grainger College of Engineering hosted nearly 600 seventh-to-twelfth-grade students from 29 states and eight countries at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this summer. More than 130 graduate and undergraduate students joined 50 faculty and staff to help students explore their interests in engineering, computer science and technology.

For the first time since 2020, summer programming returned to in-person, with a two-week virtual camp also made available, during the weeks of June 19 to July 30. Students had many options to dive deeply into a single topic for a week or more. EAGER camps and IDEA options offered STEM experiences for all. Trailblazer Scholarships contributed greatly to these efforts to provide access to all, regardless of circumstance and in recognition of the inequitable challenges faced by many.

Projects in MechSE’s camp, led by Visiting Education Coordinator Joe Muskin alongside multiple grad students, covered topics like building a 3D printer, the mechanics of a prosthetic, bio-inspired robotics, programming a motor, and more. The program culminated with a final symposium, providing all the students with opportunities to share and showcase the results of their efforts.

Watch more fun videos from the MechSE camp on our YouTube channel >>

See some snapshots from the other Grainger Engineering camps including:  Civil and Environmental Engineering: Addressing Societal Challenges camp; CURIE: Catalyzing Ur Interest in Chemical Engineering; Exploring Your Options camp (the Electrical and Computer Engineering session); Mechanical Science and Engineering EAGER camp; Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering camp; Gender Equity in Materials Science (GEMS) camp; WYSE High School Summer STEM Research program; Illinois Aerospace Institute; Materials Science and Engineering’s Mid-GLAM summer camp; and RoboScape Cybersecurity summer camp.