University Student Taught Engineering Program
What
USTEP (University Student Taught Engineering Program) is a fun-filled, educational outreach program for middle school students in the local Charlottesville community. The event is hosted by the SWE chapter at the University of Virginia. Middle schoolers will be able to have a one of kind experience taking classes taught by passionate UVA Engineering students. Students will be able to take three classes they find interesting from our class catalog.
Who
ALL middle school aged students, from 6th to 8th grade, are invited to register for USTEP. Our ultimate goal is for students to be inspired by college students and get excited about learning new things, in a fun and stress-free environment. We hope you are interested and join us in our third annual USTEP event this year!
Spring 2023 Course Catalog
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Vroom! Vroom!: The Inner Workings of Hybrid, Gasoline, and Electric Vehicles
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Have you ever been interested in how a car can work off of electricity? Gas? Or even both?! This class will show you each component that goes into a vehicle’s ability to work. With electric, gasoline, and hybrid vehicles as the focus, you will learn the impacts it has on our environment and how engineers are able to establish such designs. By the end of the course, you will understand the inner workings of these magnificent inventions, and will be more knowledgeable about the pros and cons about the vehicles you see everyday.
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Harry Potter Potions Class
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Calling all Harry Potter fans! Enter the magical world of Harry Potter, and learn to make some magical potions. In this class, students will learn muggle skills such as chemistry and biology. Along with classes everyone will be sorted into a Hogwarts house and play games and participate in other activities to compete for the house cup. Bring your creativity and curiosity!
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Breathing Life: An Exploration of the Respiratory System
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Are you ready to learn all about the amazing ways in which your body helps you breathe? In this class, we'll explore the respiratory system and all its parts, like your nose, throat, and lungs. You'll discover how they work together to bring oxygen to your cells and remove carbon dioxide. This class is perfect for anyone who is curious and loves to learn new things. Bring your creativity and get ready for a fun and educational day all about the respiratory system!
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The Building Blocks of Circuits: Minecraft and Logic Gates (***Participants must bring their own computer)
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Come learn about the building blocks of advanced circuits! Logic gates are fundamental circuit design elements. When put together, they can create complex circuits for different applications. One place you might already have experienced the usefulness of logic gates is in Minecraft! Minecraft Redstone also uses logic gates to accomplish different tasks. In this class you will learn about basic logic gates, how they work, their Minecraft equivalent, and get to experiment with different logic simulators to make your very own circuit.
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Stressed and Strained: Intro to Biomechanics of Ankle Sprains
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Have you ever sprained your ankle running or playing volleyball? Are you curious about how ankle ligaments deform when a certain stress is applied to them? Have you ever wondered what the maximum strain our ligaments can withstand? This class will focus on a hands-on activity that explores how different designs of stretchy beams handle stress and affect beam strength. Students will learn how to calculate the stress on a tendon given the force and area, read the stress-strain diagram, and determine the grade of ankle sprain through biomechanical analysis. The students will also learn about different preventative measures for these ankle injuries.
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Risk and Contamination: Saving Space Exploration!
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You can wipe away spilled milk, but how do you save a rapidly corroding spacecraft in space? Why is it that paper rockets don't fly astronauts to the Moon? The answers can be found after a quick study of risks and contamination. Before any mission to space, scientists spend days studying the technology and systems they will soon send off, and they work diligently to anticipate any kind of material contamination, preparing methods to solve anticipated future issues. In this course, you will learn how to develop a Risk Matrix and will become familiar with contaminative costs and problems associated with space travel and the spatial environment. We will explore contamination budget calculations, molecular v. particulate contamination, cleanliness levels, likelihood v. consequence ratings, and methods of mitigation.
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Computer Programming: Independent Projects with Python (***Participants must bring their own computer)
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Interested in computer science and creating a science fair project? Independent research projects are a great way to gain knowledge and experience outside of the classroom! Computer science projects are especially powerful: from detecting obesity in cats to outliers in heart rate data, with the right tools you can answer complex questions. If you are interested in conducting a computer science project, this is a class to get you thinking about possible topics. You will learn about how to choose appropriate data and how to use Python libraries to make sense of data.
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Is the event open to all students...or just girls?Although USTEP is hosted by the Society of Women Engineers, this event is open to all students regardless of their gender identity.
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Are parents/supervisors required to stay throughout the entirety of the event?Parents may drop-off their student at the beginning of the event. Classrooms will have several student volunteers assisting with lessons, so SWE will take care of everything!
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How do I become a member?At this time, there is no formal process to become a member of the SWE chapter at the University of Virginia. Subscribing to the SWEekly newsletter and listerv will connect you to all of the outreach and professional development opportunities available to SWE members.
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How much does it cost to become a SWE member?The SWE chapter at the University of Virginia does not collect dues from its members. ...
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How long is the event?This event runs from 9:30am - 3pm.
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Can parents attend? Do I have to stay with my child during the event?We are unable to accommodate parents during the actual event due to limited room capacities. Parents/Guardians drop off their student for the afternoon and pick them up at the end of the event. Prior to pickup, we will facilitate a brief, student-led panel where parents can ask questions about UVA's engineering program.
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Does my child need to bring anything to the event?All materials will be provided. We will provide lunch and snacks. If you are concerned about dietary restrictions, please reach out to the event coordinators des2rm@virginia.edu and kas4ck@virginia.edu.
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Who can apply?The Society of Women Engineers is dedicated to creating a safe, women-oriented space for everyone in engineering. We welcome anybody in grades 6 through 8 that wants to be in this space (i.e., female-identifying, genderqueer, and male-identifying individuals) to apply and attend our events. For students interested in events less geared towards a specific gender identification, please refer to our USTEP program.
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Who runs this event?MSV is planned, organized, and run by the Society of Women Engineers at UVA, an independent club at the University consisting of current UVA Engineering students. Additionally, we have many UVA Engineering faculty and staff that help support our event and provide insight via talks, lab tours, and the majors fair.
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How much does MSV cost?Thanks to our university and corporate sponsorships, MSV is free of cost for all our participants. This includes lunch and snacks that are provided throughout the day.
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Where is the event held?This program is held at the University of Virginia in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in Charlottesville, VA. The initial meeting place will be in Davis Commons in Rice Hall. Specific details and parking information will be sent out to participants approximately one week before the event.
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When will information about this event be available?More information about this event will become available very soon! This is the first in-person SEED event SWE @ UVA has hosted in several years. The executive team is still working out the details to ensure that this Spring's event will be as safe (and fun) as possible.
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Who can apply?The Society of Women Engineers is dedicated to creating a safe, women-oriented space for everyone in engineering. We welcome anybody in grades 9 through 12 that wants to be in this space (i.e., female-identifying, genderqueer, and male-identifying individuals) to apply and attend our events. For students interested in events less geared towards a specific gender identity, the UVA Engineering Spring Open House and the Center for Diversity in Engineering's Summer Bridge Program are open to all.
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How old must I be to apply to HSV?HSV is specifically for high school aged students and is targeted at 11th and 12th graders as they work through the college selection process; however, 9th and 10th graders are welcome to apply. For middle school aged students, SWE @ UVA hosts Middle School Visitation and USTEP in the Fall and Spring, respectively.
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Can parents attend the event?Parents are welcome and encouraged to stay for the first half of the event from roughly 9 am to 12 noon. During this time, we will have our Welcome Address and an Admissions Tour from the University Guide Service. Afterward, parents must depart. If you are looking for things to do around Charlottesville for the rest of the day, we recommend referring to https://www.visitcharlottesville.org/.
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What transportation options are available to get to the event?Participants and their guardians are responsible for getting themselves to and from the event. HSV is held on "Grounds" at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. More details and directions will be provided in our acceptance packet. UVA Grounds is most accessible by car, and there are several free parking options nearby. Additionally, there is an Amtrak station 7 minutes away (by car) from the campus.
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How long is the event?HSV is a day-long event running from roughly 9am to 8pm. Participants are able to leave early if they have scheduling conflicts, but this must be communicated to uvaswehsv@gmail.com prior to the day of the event.
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Who runs this event?HSV is planned, organized, and run by the Society of Women Engineers at UVA, an independent club at the University consisting of current UVA Engineering students. Additionally, we have many UVA Engineering faculty and staff that help support our event and provide insight via talks, lab tours, and the majors fair.
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How much does HSV cost?Thanks to our university and corporate sponsorships, HSV is free of cost for all our participants. This includes three meals and snacks that are provided throughout the day.
More Questions?
For additional information about the University Student Taught Engineering Program, please email: sweustep@gmail.com.