The deadline is June 1 to enroll high school students (grades 9-12) in Kettering University’s Sustainable Energy pre-college program, “Get Energized.” The program is a hands-on experience with fun projects -- like racing miniature cars powered by “alternative energy” (rubber bands and tiny fuel cells). It also includes lessons on wind and solar power.
“We work hard to make this fun and educational,” said program director Dr. Ahmad Pourmovahed, a professor of mechanical engineering at Kettering. “A lot of people in Michigan believe that future jobs in our state will come in the areas of alternative energy. Our program helps students explore how to be part of alternative energy solutions now and as leaders in the future.”
For instance, students attending “Get Energized” will build a fuel cell car and a wind turbine as take-home projects, Pourmovahed said. They’ll also see exhibits and work in “cool University labs” and classrooms, he noted.
Cost for “Get Energized” is $150 for a one-week workshop. Session 1 is June 15-19 for 9th and 10th graders. Session 2 is June 22-26 for 11th and 12th graders.
"We are clearly going to run out of fossil fuels eventually," Pourmovahed added. “We need to be preparing engineers and scientists who understand and embrace renewable energy."
The Sustainable Energy Pre-College Program is funded by a portion of a $1.6 million grant awarded to Kettering University's Fuel Cell Systems and Powertrain Integration under the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) initiative, through the United States Department of Labor. The grant was based on the efforts of Dr. K. Joel Berry, head of Kettering's Mechanical Engineering Department and director of the Kettering Center for Fuel Cell Systems and Powertrain Integration. The program is coordinated by Virginia Hill from the Office of Student Affairs.
To apply, visit: http://www.kettering.edu/futurestudents/precollege/sustainable_energy_precollege.jsp or call Virginia Hill at (810) 762-9873.
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