An engineering shortage has plagued our country for decades. Our nation needs highly skilled engineers and computer scientists who can solve problems and work to improve lives. At ONU, we feel a keen sense of responsibility to do our part to increase interest in the engineering field. Through camps and outreach programs, we expose hundreds of young people to engineering every year. We spark curiosity, build interest and generate excitement for engineering among students in elementary through high school.
CAMPS
ENGINEERING PATHWAYS
Target: high school sophomores and juniors
What do engineers actually do? Many high school students – even those considering the field – can’t answer that question. This camp exposes rising sophomores, juniors and seniors to the fields of engineering and computer science. In the classroom and labs, students engage in hands-on activities like tensile testing of metals and writing a program using the Java programming language. They take field trips to engineering firms, manufacturing facilities and corporations to meet with practicing engineers and see what they do firsthand. Participants leave with a better grasp of engineering and their future path. Engineering Pathways is part of the ONU Summer Academic and Honors Institute.
OUTREACH
STEM ACADEMY
Target: fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders at local schools
Every year, we dispatch teams of ONU engineering students to local elementary schools to host a STEM (Science, Technology, Math and Science) Academy. It’s a fun-filled day of interactive engineering projects designed and planned by ONU students. While building batteries out of lemons and weight-bearing structures out of decks of cards, students discover that engineering is cool. They also experience the practical application of the math and science concepts they’ve learned in class.
TEAMS
Target: high school students across Ohio
Since 1987, ONU has been a premier competition site for Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and Science (TEAMS). Hundreds of high school students from dozens of school districts converge on campus each year for this interscholastic competition. TEAMS is designed to give students a chance to apply the math and science concepts they are learning to real-world problems. Participants learn to think critically and work on a team. Prizes are awarded at the local, state and national levels. ONU currently ranks among the top 10 competition sites for annual number of participants. TEAMS is sponsored by the Technology Student Association.
ENGINEERING EXPLORING
Target: high school students
Engineering Exploring is an innovative program that exposes young people to engineering as a future career option. Explorer posts are supported by organizations like the National Society of Professional Engineers and local industries and universities. The T.J. Smull College of Engineering partners with the Marathon Petroleum Engineering Explorer Post in Findlay, Ohio. Three to four times a year, we provide on-campus activities or learning programs for young explorers.