Techtronics: Hands-on Exploration of Technology in Everyday Life Techtronics is an academic enrichment program for 100 students at Rogers-Herr Middle School in Durham. The objective of this program is to inspire passionate interest in science, engineering, and technology by introducing four branches of engineering (electrical and computer, biomedical, mechanical, and civil) through hands-on team projects that relate to technology uses in everyday life. The program offers a variety of team projects including robotics, solar energy, bridge building and heart monitor systems. The process of team-thinking engineering design is a focus of this program. Students meet one day per week for two hours for 28 weeks. Every seven weeks, the students are transported to the Duke Pratt School of Engineering for four hours on Saturday to test the devices built by each team. Each team of four students is guided through an inquiry-based design and construction process by an advanced engineering undergraduate. All teams, including their facilitator, are guided by an engineering graduate student.

 
   
Quickfacts

Format: Academic Enrichment Program

Area Served: Rogers-Herr Middle School in Durham

Program dates: 2 hours/week for 28 weeks

Open to: grades 6-8

Contact: Gary A. Ybarra, Ph.D.

Address: Duke University
Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
111 Hudson Hall, Box 90291
Durham, NC 27708

Phone: (919) 660-5220
Fax: (919) 660-5293
Email: gary@duke.edu
Links: Techtronics Web Page

Look what students did!

A detailed website for the Techtronics program is available here.

   


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