Engineering Opportunities

Engineering is a limited part of the high school curriculum. Extra-curricular events that help students understand what types of problems engineers solve help students make an informed decision about whether engineering is the field for them. The following activities/events do just that.

Auburn University E-Day

E-Day is an Open House for the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University. It is an opportunity for students to learn more about Engineering programs at Auburn. The event offers tours and exhibits from each of the engineering departments. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions of current engineering students and faculty, as well as to admissions and financial aid personnel. Check out TJ's video at eng.auburn.edu/outreach/k-12/eday/index.html.

Note: juniors and seniors may attend E-Day as part of a school group or on their own. Attendance with the school group is a school activity and does not count against the students' college visit days. Attendance on their own may count as a college visit or as an unexcused absence (check the handbook), but the school has no responsibility or liability for students attending on their own.

Open to: TBD (usually 12, 11, 10th graders, but subject to available transportation)

Event date: TBD (typically in Feb)

Registration: TBD

Event location: Auburn University

Cost: Money for a fast-food lunch

TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science) COMPETITION

TEAMS is a good experience for anyone interested in math, science, or engineering; or who expects to manage a career affected by the tools and solutions that engineers provide. Although the competition emphasizes ideas from engineering and the practical application of math and science, students do not have to be future engineers or a current math whiz to participate.

TEAMS is a theme-based competition for discovering how engineering interacts with other disciplines to make a difference in the world. The theme varies each year, alternating between different branches of engineering. Past themes have included engineering cities of the future, computer security, health engineering, meeting tomorrow's power needs, and addressing water needs from rural 3rd world communities to disputes betweens state here at home.

The theme for our last attendance was “Engineering the Tools of Innovation." The theme was based on the National Academy of Engineering's Grand Challenge: Engineering the Tools of Scientific Discovery (www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/8965.aspx?utm_source=TEAMS+3-3-2015&utm_campaign=Coach+email+9-11-13&utm_medium=email). Topics ranged from how engineering supports biological research all the way to how engineering helps us explore the universe.

More information will be available this fall at teams.tsaweb.com.

MCPS last participated in 2016. In 2015 MCPS entered five teams which included a middle school team that finished 5th in the state and freshman and senior teams that both finished 2nd in the state.