CRASH COURSE

If Sarah Schulte needs to learn how robots work or what propels a solar car, she’d rather try building one than reading about it.

The rising Havelock High School freshman said she learned more during a week-long North Carolina State University engineering camp at Craven Community College than she would have if the same lessons were taught in the classroom.

“I like to do hands-on projects to get into things. I’m not much of a book person,” she said Friday. “We did a ton of hands-on things this week.”

From wiring remote-controlled robots to building models of heart valves to designing helmets that would protect a cantaloupe from a 30-foot drop, the 48 students who attended the week-long camp experienced the practical side of engineering.

“We had a lot of fun with it,” said Schulte, who explained that the camp piqued her interest in the field of design engineering. “It was great working with everyone. I had a lot of fun, and I would highly recommend it.”

Held at the community college’s Havelock campus, the day camp for Craven County middle schoolers was led by Dr. Bill Fortney, who works for N.C. State and teaches at CCC through a distance education partnership. Engineering graduate students from the Raleigh university and Craven County math and science teachers lent their expertise to the effort.

“They were all excited,” Fortney said. “Starting about Wednesday, at lunchtime they would eat for about 15 minutes, wolf it down and say, ‘Could we go back in and work on our projects?’”

The week included a tour of Fleet Readiness Center East, the aviation repair center aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. Fortney said a student’s mother told him the tour showed her some of engineering’s most exciting possibilities.

“We went on base and did a tour there, and I heard through one of the moms that it totally turned things around for her daughter,” he said. “It totally lit her on fire about what engineering can be.”

Also catching the enthusiasm were county middle and high school teachers who told Fortney they hoped to use some of the engineering camp projects in their classes.

Thirteen-year-old Bob Outlaw, a rising eighth grader at Havelock Middle, said he had the most fun while learning how to program the Lego robots through a computer application. He said he’s not sure what career he’ll pursue, but after the camp, he’ll think about becoming an engineer.

“I’m guessing they make good money, and it would probably be interesting,” he said.

Kyle Brewington, 14, also expressed interest in an engineering career. He said he first learned about the field from his dad, who formerly worked as an engineer.

“It sounded cool, and you can make a lot of money if you’re good,” he said.

The engineering camp expands on a growing partnership between N.C. State and Craven Community College, which began with the 2+2 engineering program and will strengthen with CCC’s University Connections initiative that launches in the fall semester.

After four full days of learning, planning, building and testing, the campers were ready to show off their projects to parents and visitors Friday. Beginning around noon, teams of three or more students tested their inventions in friendly competitions, including robot and solar car races.

The cantaloupe helmets also were put to the test Friday as each was dropped from heights of 5, 25 and 35 feet from a bucket truck on loan from Havelock Public Services.

At a brief graduation ceremony, students received certificates of completion in leatherette diploma covers stamped with the N.C. State University seal.

David and Janie Martin, parents of 12-year-old camper David Huggins, said the week-long engineering crash course helped bring learning to life.

“There’s no question it makes the educational opportunities enhanced,” David Martin said. “Everything has been hands-on.”

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