Dr. Elon Terrell leads iBuild Summer Engineering Academy at Bledsoe-Miller STEAM Center
During the week leading up to the Fourth of July, a group of middle school students participated in the iBuild Summer Engineering Academy at Waco’s new Bledsoe-Miller STEAM Center. Led by Baylor ECS faculty member Dr. Elon Terrell, the weeklong academy immersed students in the world of engineering through a variety of engaging, hands-on design and building challenges.
“Along the way, the students developed critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and perseverance—the same skills engineers use to solve real-world problems,” said Terrell.
Each day highlighted a different area of engineering, with topics ranging from electric circuits and aircraft design to vehicle engineering and renewable energy. Some projects guided students through the step-by-step construction of a complex system, such as a floor alarm designed for jewelry store owners that activated flashing lights and a buzzer when stepped on by a potential thief.
Other activities were open-ended engineering challenges that required students to design, build, test, and refine their own solutions. One favorite challenge was the sail car, in which students designed a vehicle capable of traveling as far as possible using only the wind from a single box fan. Additionally, engineering students on the SAE Baja at Baylor team gave a presentation about their organization that builds (from scratch) and races vehicles at national competitions.
Throughout every project, students practiced the engineering design process by defining the problem, conducting research, brainstorming solutions, building a prototype, testing its performance, optimizing the design, and reflecting on the results.
“The Bledsoe-Miller STEAM Center values its partnership with Baylor’s School of Engineering & Computer Science,” said Lindsey Helton, Bledsoe-Miller STEAM Center executive director. “Through collaborations like this, we are able to provide students across Waco with access to high-quality engineering curriculum and hands-on learning experiences that spark curiosity, build confidence, and inspire the next generation of engineers.”
Through the iBuild Academy, these future engineers were introduced to challenging engineering concepts while gaining the confidence and problem-solving skills to think like engineers.
Dr. Terrell offered special thanks go to educators Jerry Newman and Reaghan Hoffman and the iBuild counselors for their dedication in making the academy a success. Appreciation is also extended to STEAM Center administrators Helton and Emily Schmillen for their support of this exciting program.
