CEMS Engineering & Design Summer Camps introduce middle-school aged students to engineering professions with hands-on learning opportunities to help them discover and develop their own STEM identity. Students will explore different engineering and design principles through engaging experiments and projects and see examples of how engineers and scientists apply these skills to improve the quality of our lives and the environment.
In partnership with Vermont 4-H, CEMS will offer two week-long camps in the summer of 2025:
MAKERS: Design and Rapid Prototyping Camp
This camp provides an introduction to 3D design using CAD (Computer Aided Design) software and Rapid Prototyping with simple materials and 3D printers. Students gain familiarity with reverse engineering, mechanical assemblies, and design principles.
Camp Details
- Dates: July 7 – 11, 2025
- Ages: For students entering grades 6 – 8
- Cost: $315 (Excludes lunch)
- Registration: Opens – March 15 / Deadline – May 1
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the camp, students will:
- Gain proficiency with basic CAD design and assemblies
- Practice a range of measurement techniques
- Reverse-engineer simple objects
- Design, slice, and 3D print materials
- Experiment with changes to infill density of 3D-printed materials
- Understand the difference between additive (e.g., 3D-printing) and subtractive (e.g., machining) fabrication and manufacturing technologies
Activities
- Introduction to the engineering design process, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), and reverse engineering
- Work through a Design Challenge beginning with hand-sketching and model mockups with simple materials (foam, cardboard, etc.)
- Develop a CAD file of their design for printing
- Learn 3D printing basics and run a series of test prints
- Iterate on the original design and make improvements before finalizing and printing the final design
- Introduction to machining (subtractive manufacturing) and demo’s in the CEMS machine shop
WATER WARRIORS: Environmental Engineering Camp
Where does our drinking water come from? When we flush the toilet, where does it go? Why is water treatment so important for Lake Champlain? How do we know if our water is safe to drink or swim in? This camp will explore water and wastewater treatment processes and the science behind it.
Camp Details
- Dates: July 21 – 25, 2025
- Ages: For students entering grades 6 – 8
- Cost: $315 (Excludes lunch)
- Registration: Opens – March 15 / Deadline – May 1
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the camp, students will:
- Understand the important role that environmental engineers and scientists play in managing our water system and keeping us safe
- See diverse examples of environmental engineers and scientists
- Understand the concept of water quality and how it affects them in their everyday lives
- Describe where drinking water comes from and how it is treated
- Describe the typical pathway that wastewater takes and how it is treated
- Identify different physical and chemical characteristics that determine water quality
- Test water samples using a range of methods common to environmental engineers and scientists
- Design a water quality experiment of their own > modify water using common materials (sand, salt, compost), and measure to see changes; or
- Design a simple water treatment system and test
- See examples of other jobs/problems/systems that environmental engineers and scientists work on
Activities
- Experiment with adding different common materials to water to see how they affect water quality
- Learn how scientists collect and analyze water samples
- Build a water treatment column and compete against other teams to see whose filter is the best at removing contamination
- Visit a real water treatment facility
- Practice collecting and plotting data