Summer camps enable MechSE to dramatically increase outreach to youth in STEM

One didn’t have to look far this summer to see MechSE faculty and staff leading or participating in a multitude of STEM-based outreach programs for youth.

Written by Julia Park

MechSE’s Director of Undergraduate Programs Stephanie Ott-Monsivais played a large role in many summer camps, starting June 24 and concluding July 28. Combined, the camps reached more than 200 students. Beyond leading the department’s annual week-long “Exploring MechSE” camp, Ott-Monsivais helped guide activities for The Grainger College of Engineering’s “Exploring your Options,” “Discover Engineering” and the virtual “What it Takes” camp. Multiple faculty and staff from MechSE – including Professors Mickey Clemon, Siyi Xu, Varda Hagh, Elif Ertekin and Matt West, and cleanroom engineer Joe Maduzia – led hands-on research-based activities for these camps.

Ott-Monsivais began her summer with a trip to Guatemala to assist at a week-long camp out of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala’s (UVG) Department of Mechanical Engineering. Cecilia Marsicovetere, coordinator of UVG’s Women in Engineering program, has led the camp for seven years, focusing on training and inspiring young women to choose careers in STEM and to ultimately contribute to the development of Guatemala. Ott-Monsivais assisted Marsicovetere with activities for 62 girls ages 12 to 19, plus a half-day workshop for 15 girls in San Andrés, Semetabaj. The program’s closing ceremony was attended by the U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Tobin Bradley.

Ott-Monsivais and Professor Kyle Smith also enabled Grainger Engineering, by way of MechSE, to participate for the first time in an outreach program for Native high school students called “Indigenous Pathways,” led by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Associate Vice Chancellor for Native Affairs Jacki Thompson Rand created the the Indigenous Pathways Program based on her personal experiences as a first-generation Native undergraduate and the work of colleagues she observed at other institutions that offer similar bridge programs. The three-day program introduces Native students to various areas of study across campus – in STEM, the arts and the humanities – as well as the university community through student services and resources. Smith spoke to the students about his experiences as a professor and researcher in mechanical engineering and Maduzia led them in a cleanroom activity. While the program is for students from the removed tribes from the state of Illinois and the Indigenous Midwest, it is open to students from every federally recognized tribe in the U.S.

“This year, it was really exciting to have so many vibrant camps and the opportunity to compare and contrast different experiences, then share those insights with the campers. Encouraging campers to think about global contexts in their work, and how to build or engineer things with limited resources, in various environments, and through different modalities was very rewarding,” said Ott-Monsivais.