3d Printers, Robots And Rockets, Oh My!

>>Narrator Emilie Howlett, University of Hawaii at Manoa student: Every summer at Honolulu Community College, students are hard at work, attending classes and working on projects, but they're not in college. They're high school students, getting a taste of college life, while being exposed to the world of engineering. These 60 students from public and private schools are taking part in the Honolulu CC Summer Engineering Academy. >>Micah Fujita, Mililani High School student: It's not just class work and you actually get to apply what you learn to actual projects, which I think is pretty cool. >>Narrator: There are three projects during this year's six-week long program—building a robot, constructing an air rocket and creating a rubber band powered car with a 3D printer. The students are divided into three groups and spend two weeks on each project. >>Norman Takeya, Honolulu CC Assistant Professor: The robot they are building this year is really cool. It's a drumming robot. The robot actually seeks an object to pound drum sticks on and it will create a tune. >>Kristen Balanza, Campbell High School 2013 graduate: I am looking forward to the robotics and one new thing is the 3D printing so hopefully that's cool. I'm in that right now. >>Narrator: The projects expose the students to the different disciplines of engineering. Electrical for the drumming robot, structural and mechanical for the rocket and product engineering for the 3D printing. >>Takeya: 3D printing is going to revolutionize manufacturing in the very near future. >>Narrator: And here are these teenagers, working with this revolutionary technology that most adults have only read about or never heard of. >>Balanza: The projects that we do are fun and interesting, and it's hands on so, that's my kind of thing. >>Fujita: I thought it would be a good experience seeing that I am into building stuff and looking into engineering as a career choice. >>Narrator: The engineering academy is one of three summer bridge programs for high school students at Honolulu Community College. The best part about this one? >>Balanza: You get to take home all your projects. >>Narrator: The Summer Engineering Academy is also one of about 15 programs funded by the Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education on University of Hawaii campuses. An effort to encourage high school students to pursue higher education and STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering and math.