Students of Today, Engineers of Tomorrow

Youth summer camps inspire next generation of engineers (see video)

By Yesenia Fuentes (’18)

For many, summer break is a time for vacation and relaxation. For the Lyles College of Engineering, it’s a time to demonstrate the endless possibilities in engineering to K-12 students.

Over four weeks in June and July, elementary, middle school and high school students participated in hands-on activities combined with academic lectures and field trips covering various topics such as engineering, construction management and architectural studies.

“Our goal is to expose a community of students from diverse backgrounds to engineering disciplines and Fresno State,” says Hernan Maldonado, director of the Lyles College Pathways Student Services. “Through these camps, they are hearing from our professors firsthand about what they can do in the industry with a degree in engineering or construction management.”

Engineering summer camps at Fresno State began in 2010 with just 20 high school students. Maldonado says the lack of engineering pathways programs in high schools at the time sparked the creation of the camps.

Campers testing an egg shield.

A middle school session was soon added and, in 2021, the camps expanded to include sessions for elementary school students. Over the years, enrollment has grown to reach a maximum capacity of 42 students per session with waiting lists of up to 20 students.

This year’s summer camp brought students from as far as San Diego, Riverside and the Bay Area to the Valley.

“We get a lot of great feedback from the students and their parents, and we have had many students who are excited to come back and participate multiple times,” Maldonado says. “We also always get a good number of students from the camps that end up enrolling and being part of the Lyles College of Engineering, so that’s really exciting because we’re seeing that it’s making an impact, and it’s actually producing students for our college.”

Maldonado works closely with Lyles College faculty to develop camp activities that incorporate hot topics such as cybersecurity, aerospace, automotive engineering and structural activities. This year’s camp included a field trip to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.

Whether it’s something completely new or something they’ve seen on TV, Maldonado aims to keep it exciting for the students. He says Fresno State student facilitators also play a key role in the camps because they bond with the K-12 students and share what college life is like.

Yue Yang is an international student from China who is pursuing a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering. She served as a facilitator for this year’s camp as a way to give back to the college for helping her grow professionally and personally.

“This college is the best decision I made to start my engineering journey as an individual with a limited background in this country,” Yang says. “I want to give back, and I hope more and more young generations are interested in studying technologies and engineering at Fresno State.”

For Mariano Gutierrez, 6, his favorite moments of camp were building his own drawing robot, eating at the dining hall and meeting Victor E. Bulldog IV, Fresno State’s live mascot.

Campers glue together plastic straws and paper parachutes to assemble a shield to protect an egg and prevent it from breaking when dropped an activity.

“Our child has always been a hands-on learner and intrigued with how things work,” says Lorena Calderon, Mariano’s mother. “He enjoyed learning how things are built through trial and error. The program really showcased the many careers in engineering and opened the possibilities of so many future paths.”

Calderon says the camp builds self-confidence at this age level. Learning new material and then getting to apply it on a project along with student staff really helped her son believe in himself.

“As someone who works in education, and as first-generation parents, we appreciate Fresno State’s programs,” Calderon says. “We know what a difference the program makes on students, especially at a young age when they are just starting their educational journey. What a great way for them to start building a good foundation for their future successes.”

– Yesenia Fuentes is a communications specialist in the Lyles College of Engineering at Fresno State.

Top photo: Summer camp facilitator John Herrera demonstrates an egg drop activity. The activity introduces students to physics, materials science and fluid dynamics.