EMU Today

YPSILANTI – A group of seventh and eighth grade girls from Detroit schools is learning about skills that go into an engineering career during a four-week residential summer camp at Eastern Michigan University.

The camp, called the Girls in Engineering Academy, is sponsored by The Engineering Society of Detroit, for the purpose of improving academic achievement and increase interest in engineering topics and careers among young girls.

Thirty middle school girls are participating in the academy, which runs through August 3. In preparation for the camp, the girls met every other Saturday for three hours during the school year, during which they learned about various engineering disciplines and careers.

EMU students are providing instruction for the camp, in the areas of math, language arts, robotics and science enrichment by offering project based STEM activities.

The campers, who are living and dining in an EMU residence hall during the week, are also participating in life skills development, mentoring, pre-college experiences, and engineering career exploration.

“The purpose of this camp is expose these middle school students to a college campus and college life,” said Bia Hamed coordinator of student services for the EMU College of Technology. “While here they will receive intensive instruction that is project-based while residing in a typical campus dorm.”

The campers will take part in projects such as building and flying drones, dissecting a frog and applying geometry to everyday life while learning how to write about those experiences using language arts.

Sessions are held in actual college classrooms and labs. In the evenings, the campers are taking part in life-enriching activities such as yoga and canvas painting along with hearing from inspirational speakers such as an EMU female student in the aviation pilot program and a female Ford engineer. 

“Research shows that students are more likely to go to college if they visit a campus while in middle school,” Hamed said. “We are hoping this experience will guarantee it.”

The Engineering Society, which began in 1895, seeks to be an area leader in promoting the engineering and scientific professions or by providing invaluable technical assistance to the community. In staging numerous events and initiatives such as the EMU camp, the society serves this generation of engineers, scientists and allied professionals while seeking to foster growth and development of the next generation of engineers.

The camp builds on the University’s extensive outreach efforts to interest young women in STEM-based careers.

Those initiatives include Digital Divas, a bi-annual science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) career conference for young women, which is held in the fall for middle school girls and in the spring for area high school students.

The one-day conference gives young women the chance to connect with and learn from individuals in STEM careers. The event consists of guest speakers and breakout sessions for hands-on learning.

Sessions feature STEM learning activities as well as networking with professional women and EMU students who lead hands-on workshops. Last spring’s event drew more than 600 young women from high schools all over Southeast Michigan.

For more information, visit the Digital Divas website.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves 20,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.