More than 200 high school students, including 168 from Colorado, 40 from other states and three from England, are exploring engineering through hands-on activities at the University of Colorado at Boulder this week.
The 38th annual High School Honors Institute is a four-day campus residential program that introduces the creative nature of engineering to high school juniors and seniors who have strong academic records in math and science.
The program, which began Sunday, is sponsored by the College of Engineering and Applied Science with assistance from local industry. CU faculty and engineering students, in conjunction with industry representatives, are presenting activities that actively engage students in the engineering disciplines.
Each high school student was asked to select two areas of interest, which they are exploring today and Tuesday through such activities as building and flying hand-held aircraft; designing, building and programming robotic devices; designing computer games; and building and testing solar collectors. Events are being held throughout the Engineering Center Complex.
Some of the groups also are going on field trips to the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Boulder Waste Water Treatment Facility, the CU Power House and to see the CU Solar Decathlon home under construction in Louisville.
The high school students also are working in teams to build "boats" out of plastic gallon jugs, wood furring strips and duct tape, which they will race in the swimming pool of the Student Recreation Center tonight from 8:45 p.m. to 10:15 p.m.
The program will close with an egg drop contest in the Engineering Center courtyard on Wednesday from 12:20 p.m. to 1:20 p.m.