Ogden tech camp takes students beyond robots
Chencho Oquendo, left, and Adam Pluim assemble carbon fiber model race cars as part of the Beyond Nubots program at the Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College on Thursday, June 11, 2015. Beyond Nubots is a week long partnership between OWATC and Weber State University to introduce high school students to engineering careers.
Plans and components for a carbon fiber race car sit on a table in the woodshop at the Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College on Thursday, June 11, 2015. Around 15 high school students learned to design the model cars and work with polyester resin for their final project with Beyond Nubots.
Jomelene Tychingco listens to tips on smoothing her car axles during the Beyond Nubots program at the Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College on Thursday, June 11, 2015. During the program, students designed and built model cars, rockets and bridges.
OGDEN — Tasha Jones has always wanted to design cars.
The 16-year-old junior got her first shot at the Beyond Nubots camp sponsored by the Ogden School District, Weber State University and the Ogden Weber Applied Technology Center.
For the past six years WSU, OWATC and Ogden School District have partnered for a summer Nubots camp where campers spent a week building robots to battle. Six years ago it was cool and innovative, but now more students are building robots all the time and it isn’t new anymore, so the collaborators had to think outside the box.
They did, and Beyond Nubots was born. Students last week spent two days at WSU and two days at OWATC doing different types of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math each day. Rockets were created and launched, bridges were built and cars with complex engines were made to travel on a high-tech pinewood derby track.
Andrew Brown, pre-enrollment advisor at OWATC, has worked with the program for the past six years and didn’t want to see it go away, but knew change was needed. “Everybody’s done it,” Brown said of robots. “We needed to give the students something more and something they could see themselves doing after high school.”
This year, instead of inviting junior high-aged students, it is strictly for incoming juniors. On June 11, after showcasing their accomplishments to their parents, they had the chance to sign up for college-level courses to start taking this summer and through the next two years.
“We decided we are not just going to talk about opportunities for college; we are going to give them those opportunities now,” Brown said. “The benefit to the kids is massive,” Brown said.
BENJAMIN ZACK/STANDARD-EXAMINER
Adam Pluim assemble sands burrs off of his model car axles during the Beyond Nubots program at the Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College on Thursday, June 11, 2015. Beyond Nubots is a week long partnership between OWATC and Weber State University to introduce high school students to engineering careers.
Adam Pluim assemble sands burrs off of his model car axles during the Beyond Nubots program at the Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College on Thursday, June 11, 2015. Beyond Nubots is a week long partnership between OWATC and Weber State University to introduce high school students to engineering careers.
Teachers from WSU and the OWATC guided the students all week. “We want these kids to see that there are businesses right in their own town where they can use these skills,” said WSU professor Andrew Deceuseter.
Jones attends George Washington alternative high school. She saw a whole new world open before her in the camp.
“I’ve always wanted to do engineering and now I see I can really do it,” she said as she pointed a 3D printer across the room that students were watching. “I’m still iffy on what I want to do, but I think it’s all pretty fun,” she said of the different engineering skills she has learned. She enjoyed building a rocket and saw how complicated it was to build a bridge. She worked on the projects on her own with some help from the teachers, which she liked.
Deceuseter held up the car the students had milled from wood and then were working to print a complex engine system on a 3D printer on top. “It’s like a pinewood derby on steroids,” OWATC professor Kurt Jensen said. “We really wanted the kids to get exposure to several different programs and for them to see what is out there for them to do. Then we will bring them back and have them take the college classes.”
Brown said it is their goal to have as many students as possible earn some type of licensing from OWATC that they can take with them to WSU or wherever else they want to go or to help them find work making good money at a local engineering company in the area. “We want these students to know what they have here. They have a university, a tech college and so many resources right in their backyard,” Brown said.
Adam Pluim has learned that well. This is the third year Pluim has participated in the Nubots camp, but he has especially loved this year.
“I like learning a bunch of projects. That way if one thing doesn’t work I can try another. I can’t really fail,” Pluim said.
He plans to go into engineering after high school and is already working toward college credits. He plans to take classes this summer. He really liked designing the rockets and is leaning toward mechanical engineering. “I just like learning all the cool engineering stuff,” Pluim said as he eagerly rushed back to his desk to work on his car design.
Brown is happy with the re-design of the program and grateful to the district’s GEAR UP program that paid for all the students to participate at no cost. “The partnership between the groups has been amazing to really give these kids something,” Brown said.