(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: More than 100 school students from across Qatar participated in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) summer programmes organised by Texas A&M University at Qatar, a Qatar Foundation partner university.
Texas A&M Qatar's STEM experts Benjamin Cieslinski, Tala Katbeh and Mustafa Abidi developed and taught the programmes, which were designed for school students ranging from grades 6 to 12 to explore the fundamentals of various engineering concepts.
The one-week programmes included the 3D CAD Camp: Introduction to 3D Modeling; Qatar Invents: Fundamentals of Engineering Design; REV Robotics Camp: Introduction to Robotics Engineering; and Pinewood Derby Engineering.
In 3D CAD Camp, students in grades 9-12 learned how to design and create products from the ideation phase to production. Students were instructed using a professional CAD software Fusion 360 to learn the basics of 3D modeling. They also learned about additive manufacturing and how 3D printing works.
Qatar Invents teaches students the fundamentals of the engineering design process: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. This annual programme challenges students in grades 9-12 to work in teams to engineer with novel solutions to existing real-world problems.
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This year, the students came up with innovative ideas and inventions to ensure safer conditions for delivery drivers, especially during the hot summer months. Students implemented the engineering design process and developed technological solutions, learned how to build prototypes, and defended them to a panel of experts.
During the REV Robotics Camp, the participating grade 7-12 students were taught about robotics engineering, mechanical and structural design, and programming.
The students worked in teams to design, build, programme and test their robots using professional grade REV materials and components. At the end of the programme, the teams were challenged through a competition with a theme on energy sustainability and power provision.
The STEM summer programmes concluded with the Pinewood Derby Engineering programme for students in grades 6-8. Students learned about various topics including potential and kinetic energy, friction, air resistance, drag, weight distribution, and statistics. Using the science and physics topics taught, each student engineered their own race car using a block of wood. At the end of each of these programmes, the students had to put what they had learned to use and build their own functional and efficient robots, cars or products from scratch. The participants said that the STEM programmes were a fun and enlightening educational experience.
Malak Abdelhadi, a grade 12 student from Edison International Academy, found Qatar Invents to be an eye-opening experience. She said,“It not only introduced me to fascinating engineering concepts but also provided valuable insights into teamwork and the engineer's mindset. I learned a lot about myself during the programme, and every minute was truly worth it.”
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