July 11, 2019
B-roll: Middle school students study mechanics, gravity at UW engineering camp
Sixty middle school students from all over Washington state came to the UW for a four-day camp in late June. The camp, which is part of the Early Engineering Institute, culminated in a chance to improve the basic design of a toy-sized “gravity car.” These cars use mechanics and the power of gravity to move a wheeled vehicle forward.
Groups of students each received a gravity car kit with foam core, string, wooden wheels, dowels and clips, and then assembled and tested new parts to make their cars better. The cars were measured for the distance they could travel along the floor of The McCarty Innovation & Learning Lab.
The Early Engineering Institute is hosted by the UW’s GEAR-UP program, which is part of a national effort to help students from low-income families prepare for and succeed in higher education. During the four-day camp, students worked on math skills and explored the possibilities of engineering.
This year’s students came from the following Washington school districts: Burlington-Edison, East Valley, Goldendale, Grandview, Granger, Mount Vernon, Mount Adams, Royal, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Wahluke, Wapato and Zillah.
For more information, contact:
Sarah McQuate, UW News public information officer: smcquate@uw.edu
Kiyomi Taguchi, UW News video producer: ktaguchi@uw.edu
Tag(s): Early Engineering Institute • UW GEAR-UP program
