STEPS program continues for young women
Using special computer software and mathematical computations, "mini" STEPS participants configured their robots to move in the direction of a light source.
Launched in 2002 as a summer camp to promote engineering and science careers to high-school girls, the Science, Technology and Engineering Preview Summer (STEPS) camp continues to grow. The program, introduced as the first of its kind in Michigan, is a partnership between UDM and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers with significant financial support from Ford Motor Company.
In addition to last year’s summer camp for young women statewide, the College of Engineering and Science also ran a "mini" STEPS experience (STEPS into High School) thanks to a $30,000 donation from Ford Motor Company. The mini-STEPS was conducted in 10 high schools during the 2003-2004 academic year. In a series of field trips to UDM’s McNichols Campus, a group of 12 to 16 high school students built a self-guided robot. The participating schools are involved in Ford's High School Partnership outreach program.
STEPS now is set to begin its third summer of camps at UDM. According to Dan Maggio, director of Pre-College Programs in the College of Engineering & Science, “Our inaugural program in 2002 was a great success with 80 sophomore and junior high school girls from throughout the state attending the week-long sessions. In 2003, we expanded from two to three sessions and accommodated 110 students. This summer, we are expecting similar enrollments.”
In previous summer camps, the students built robots, visited Ford’s Dearborn Assembly plant, talked to some of Ford’s women engineers and experienced campus living.
For more information about this summer's camp sessions, contact Dan Maggio at (313) 993-1435 or maggiodd@udmercy.edu.