Unh Ga Tech Team Camp Press Release

7/23/2019 Unh Ga Tech Team Camp Press Release

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Sikorsky Sponsors STEM Camp for Local High School Students

Sikorsky recently sponsored a team-based engineering and manufacturing (TEAM camp at the!ni"ersity of #e$ Ha"en that introduced high school students to authentic engineering practices%

The net$orked summer camp& led by the 'eorgia nstitute of Technology $ith support from the !ni"ersity

of #e$ Ha"en and Sikorsky Aircraft& allo$s students to collaborate on engineering pro)ects using the C*-Create& +esign& ,uild& and *perate (C+,* methodology%

The TEAM camp presents a fantastic opportunity for us as engineers to con"ey to the younger studentsa glimpse of $hat engineering is all about&. said Maria-sabel Carnasciali& an assistant mechanicalengineering professor at the !ni"ersity of #e$ Ha"en and organi/er of the camp% The strengths in mathand physics are important& but in the camp $e are able to sho$ them that there is a lot of team $ork&there is room for creati"ity& and much can be learned from prototyping and testing%.

The camp began three years ago $hen 'eorgia Tech came to Sikorsky looking for a place in southernConnecticut to hold a "ersion of their STEM Camp% Sikorsky brought them to the !ni"ersity of #e$Ha"en& and the partnership began%

n addition to this introduction& Sikorsky also pro"ides eight scholarships to students in the program& andthis year& Sikorsky began a mentorship program $ith the camp% Three Sikorsky engineers "olunteeredtheir time to spend the last t$o days of the camp helping to teach the students "arious aspects ofengineering&

t $as inspiring to meet such hard$orking and intelligent high school students& $ho $ere $orking $ithmaterial did not learn until college&. said 0atricia Snider& a recent hire and alumni of the !ni"ersity of#e$ Ha"en& $ho "olunteered her time as a mentor at the camp% The students really impressed me $iththeir creati"ity and kno$ledge and also their fascination $ith the topics they $ere $orking $ith% thoughtthe camp $as a great program to gi"e them e1posure to STEM acti"ities at their age& and it seemed likethey all really en)oyed it%.

+uring the first $eek of the t$o-$eek program& students learned CATA "2& a 3+ design soft$are that isused at Sikorsky and many other industries in"ol"ed in the design and manufacturing of comple1systems%

n the second $eek& students $orked collaborati"ely on "arious challenge pro)ects& testing& "alidating& andrefining their designs& mimicking the engineering process used by professionals today%

Many times& for students& such as myself in college& it is hard to see the connection bet$een $hat youare doing in the classroom& and $hat is going on in the real $orld& said 4ack Ha"anec& a recent hire from'eorgia Tech $ho "olunteered his time as a mentor at the camp% think that by in"ol"ing Sikorsky& thecamp $as able to bridge this gap by sho$ing the kids that the challenges and techni5ues they $ere$orking are similar to the ones $e see here on a daily basis%.

At this year6s camp& students $ere tasked $ith completing one of three challenges78% +esign and build an autonomous robot that can tra"el through an obstacle course to complete a

specified task9% +esign and build ne$ blades for an unmanned rotorcraft to enable the rotorcraft to transport the

largest payload possible3% +esign and build a prototype car that utili/es $ind energy to mo"e

*nce the students6 designs $ere complete& they used additi"e manufacturing (rapid prototypingtechnology to create physical models and attempt to complete their challenge%



Throughout the process& students had the opportunity to interact $ith and learn from faculty& researchers&and undergraduate students from both the !ni"ersity of #e$ Ha"en and 'eorgia Tech& in addition to theSikorsky mentors%

These types of camps are "ery important for future engineers because they allo$ the students to gethands-on e1perience $ith design and critical thinking that help them determine their interests& as $ell astheir strengths and $eaknesses&. said Adam :est a recent hire and 'eorgia Tech Alumni& $ho"olunteered at the camp% The team aspect helps to prepare them for future collaborati"e pro)ects& both inschool and professionally%.

The camp hosted 99 high school students from local schools and three students from ;u/hou HighSchool in China% Students "aried in grade& from rising freshman to rising seniors% n addition to students&the camp also hosts select teachers $ho teach STEM sub)ects in local schools%

f you are interested in learning more about the camp or "olunteering as a mentor for other !ni"ersity<elations acti"ities $ithin <=E& contact +ulcy *6<ourke at +ulcy%*<ourke>sikorsky%com or 9?3-3@3-2B@%

Adam West (top left) and Zack Havanec (bottom left) look on as students alter their designs.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



Patricia Snider helps a student develop his windpowered car protot!pe.



"wo students work together to build their protot!pe.



"he students# facult!# and volunteers who participated in the $%&' "A *amp.

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Unh Ga Tech Team Camp Press Release