Future Engineers
In 2008, Dr. Melissa Smith developed an innovative program called ‘Clemson Elementary School Future Engineers’ at the local elementary school. The program targets 4th and 5th grade students with the goal of inspiring them to pursue careers in STEM fields.
The program runs for six weeks during each of the fall and spring semesters. In the first semester, twelve 4th and 5th grade students built a computer from COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) parts, learning about each of the components and their function or purpose as they were assembled.
The program was so well received, the enrollment more than doubled to 26 students in the second semester. During the second session, the Clemson University IEEE Hardware Team and their recycling robot treated students to demonstrations. Other demonstrations and hands-on activities included an introduction to haptics, building a robot arm, and use of engineering methods to design a solar-powered playground.
Most of these activities were either conducted by or otherwise involved volunteer Clemson students. These activities proved to be beneficial for all involved. The elementary students learned about many of the STEM activities at the university and offered a unique perspective and some interesting ideas for the proposed engineering problems. The university students gained ideas and research to a diverse audience.
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