Hands-on Learning at Jonsson STEM Stars Summer Camp

The Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas debuted a new summer camp this year for children in upper elementary and middle school grades that featured active exploration of digital and analog circuits, sensors and 3D design.

Nikki Young, director of outreach and recruitment in the Jonsson School, designed the STEM Stars Summer Camp to provide an opportunity for students to experience engineering firsthand. While many concepts were challenging, campers went home each day wanting to learn more.

“I was so encouraged to hear from a parent that one of our campers wanted to visit the library after camp to find a book on circuits,” Young said.

Adam Heritier Shebindu PhD’25, a recent PhD graduate in biomedical engineering and research associate in Dr. David Schmidtke’s laboratory, served as the camp’s engineering instructor. He planned a tightly packed week with introductions to fundamental engineering tools and circuit basics.

Campers learned about batteries for energy storage, modified a circuit with resistors, constructed basic circuits using an open-source electronic prototyping platform and sample C++ programs and learned about analog input for electronics and 3D-printed smart trash can designs after constructing them using a web application for 3D design.

“We had children who came to camp without any knowledge of engineering, but they left as problem solvers. That left me in awe,” Shebindu said. “Seeing their creativity unfold as they learned coding, circuits and robotics was truly inspiring. What impressed me most was how quickly they embraced challenges — working together, asking questions and finding solutions on their own. By the end of the week, they weren’t just following instructions: They were thinking like engineers.”

Campers also enjoyed a communal lunch with plenty of snacks, a must for high-energy tweens and teenagers. They gathered each day in the Jonsson School’s freshman design lab located in the Engineering and Computer Science West Building, a naturally lit space equipped with large tables, computers and 3D printers.

“It was a privilege to guide them through that journey, and I am grateful to have been part of the inaugural camp”, Shebindu said.

At the end of the week, the campers delivered presentations about what they had learned to their parents and camp staff. Dr. Stephanie G. Adams, Jonsson School dean and holder of the Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair, presented certificates to students for their participation. Adams, also a professor of systems engineering, reiterated the importance of engineering in society as well as numerous possible career pathways in STEM.

Young joined UT Dallas in the fall of 2024 following several years in higher education outreach and recruitment at Texas Woman’s University.

“I am beyond grateful for everyone who helped pull this off, especially our instructor Dr. Adam Shebindu,” Young said. “The important thing is that the students had this experience. I hope they will remember that they enjoyed doing this and that they will consider engineering in the future.”