Engineering and Computer Science:
Motivating Homeschooled Students
Today’s increasing number of homeschooled students throughout Virginia and other states provides a new opportunity for teachers to discover and offer unique and exciting programs to those interested in engineering. Providing such opportunities for college-bound students pursuing traditional programs in liberal arts and humanities may be straightforward. But what to do about those homeschooled students that express an interest and aptitude in the rigorous disciplines of engineering?
Consider a visit to the Science Museum of Virginia. This museum provides a wide variety of demonstrations and exhibits focusing on science, technology and engineering. These exhibits rotate and change over time, so stay current with these demonstrations and programs via the website.
Join a technology, computer or engineering club. These clubs provide the framework for homeschooled students to pursue interests in technology-based topics. Excellent teachers and mentors lead these clubs and can have a profound impact on a student’s early interest in engineering. These clubs provide activities for students such as experimentation, engineering-related design/build projects, speakers by those in the engineering profession, and field trips to various companies and manufacturing plants that emphasize engineering.
Visit an open house event at a local university or community college offering engineering degree programs. Open house events provide an opportunity for young people to visit a specific school and tour laboratories within the engineering departments. Homeschooled students can meet faculty members and ask questions related to the research and work being carried out in that lab. Current college students will be available to discuss experiences, student clubs, projects and careers with the high school students.
Do you care to create, design, build and operate your own robot? FIRST Robotics, VEX Robotics and FIRST Lego League provide team-based activities for young students to participate in the entire life-cycle of an actual robot, culminating in local and regional competitions bringing together teams in an environment of “co-opertition” (a melding of cooperation and competition).
Investigate summer programs held on campus at engineering schools. These “camps” offer multiple hands-on activities for young people to participate in engineering-centered activities such as computer-aided design, building computer circuits, testing artificial joints, making integrated circuit chips and donning bunny suits, and programming chips that control remote-controlled vehicles. One specific program offered by Virginia Commonwealth University is called Summer Discovery.
The Math/Science Center of Richmond offers a multitude of classes, programs and experiments for students interested in engineering. One such program, known as Questers, offers a series of six consecutive Saturday sessions in a particular engineering college or department. Students can actively participate in web-based publishing and home page design, studying the effects of liquid nitrogen, building a crystal radio, building a mousetrap car, designing a catapult and competing in the “Marshmallow Toss Challenge.”
Search for summer internships at local colleges for students. Engineering schools may offer unpaid internships for high school students to work during the summer and academic sessions alongside the faculty member’s research team. These experiences allow for more in-depth and rigorous experiences for a high school student to complete leading-edge work in a college-level research laboratory. Similarly, such internships or “shadowing programs” may be available at local engineering companies. To determine if such a program exists, call the office of outreach, communication or community relations at the engineering company of interest.
Community colleges provide a variety of relevant courses that provide the analytical tools necessary for students interested in engineering. Coursework in the fundamental topics of chemistry, mathematics, biology, physics, statistics, and computer programming will prepare the high school student to analyze, model and simulate the hands-on activities and results viewed during laboratory sessions. A clear understanding of science, augmented with the mathematical analysis needed to communicate ideas, are essential for success as an engineer.
Successful engineers enjoy exciting and fulfilling careers. Our society and improved welfare are driven by technology. Engineers are the creative people responsible for the products and services that place this technology into our lives. Engineers are innovative people with strong analytical skills, able to understand society’s needs, with a strong passion to create those things that we use everyday. Today, we find a growing number of unique and interesting ways to inspire and invigorate young people that choose to pursue engineering as a career.
For more information:
- VCU School of Engineering:
- http://www.egr.vcu.edu/
- Contact - Rodney Hall at rdhall@vcu.edu
- FIRST Robotics:
- Virginia FIRST Robotics:
- http://www.virginiafirst.org/
- Contact – Pattie Cook at robotstoo@aol.com
- Math/Science Center:
- VCU Summer Discovery Program:
- Science Museum of Virginia:
