To help address the demand for alternative energy solutions and introduce local high school juniors and seniors to engineering career opportunities, CSU’s Fenn College of Engineering is hosting Pathways to Engineering: Making a Difference in Your Community. The three-week overnight camp, which continues through Friday, July 31, focuses on sustainability and alternative energy and how they affect our communities.

Made possible by a grant from the Ohio Board of Regents (OBOR), 29 students from Lakewood, Westlake, Rocky River, Twinsburg, Strongsville, Cleveland, Bay Village, Rocky River and Tallmadge are attending the camp and residing in CSU’s award-winning residence hall, Fenn Tower. The camp activities, housing and meals are provided to students free of charge.

Presentations and hands-on activities in the areas of engineering design, wind energy, solar energy, and fuel cell technology are conducted on and around CSU’s downtown campus. Campers are also exposed to real-world examples and insight by traveling to area businesses and institutions such as the Great Lakes Science Center, NASA Glenn Research Center and the Natural History Museum.

Additional highlights of the past two weeks include a challenge to design a green toaster, work with scaled-down wind turbines, an egg drop competition, science experiments, work with a fuel cell-driven toy car, energy audits and guest speakers.

Upcoming highlights include:

Monday, July 27
9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. - Classroom sessions about technical writing and creating presentations
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Student presentations

Tuesday, July 28
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Classroom sessions about STEM teaching careers, lesson plans, internet research and career development
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Dinner and bowling at The Corner Alley Wednesday, July 29
9:30 a.m. to Noon – Students present lesson plans
Noon to 5:00 p.m. – Community service at the Trinity Cathedral Foodbank
6:00 to 9:00 p.m. – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum tour Thursday, July 30
9:00 a.m. to Noon – Attend biomedical, engineering and computer systems presentations at Cleveland Clinic, and tour Clinic facilities
1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Tour Cleveland Natural History Museum
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. – Classroom session and health presentation Friday, July 31
2:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Students complete power point presentations and completion certificates are awarded

Sustainability and alternative energy-related “green” concepts are taught by CSU’s Dr. Majid Rashidi, a renowned expert on renewable energy. Staff from partner institutions West Shore Career and Technical District, CSU’s College of Education and Human Services, the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce and Cleveland Engineering Society helped organize the camp and also serve as counselors and teachers.

Learning opportunities will extend beyond the camp as internships with local businesses and institutions and job shadowing opportunities will be available to camp participants throughout the academic year.

For more information about the camp, as well as interview and photo requests, please contact the Fenn College manager of student programs, Gregg Schoof, at 216.392.0740 or Linda Thayer, director of the West Shore Career and Technical District, at 216.244.3174.

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