Engineering Research
Three-Week Summer Engineering Program
Thinking about a career in Engineering? Employ electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer programming in challenging hands-on projects. One team project involves using Arduino to program a sailboat designed for speed. Students build the components and learn the ins and outs of soldering, wiring, and circuitry. They then bring the excitement outdoors, sailing their models on the lake. Teams compete against the clock and other teams in sailboat regattas, observing and calibrating the performance of their creations from the shoreline. They conduct experimental research to improve the sailboat’s functioning.
Students also used a 3D Printer and CAD to design and create their own boat designed to complete and compete on various tasks in a pool. Other years, students have built a portable stereo speaker set with custom-designed packaging.
What are you waiting for? Apply now. Not ready to apply? Join the mailing list. This is a competitive admissions summer research program designed for teens.
Hands-On Engineering
‘I loved how hands-on the program was. I felt the combination of class time with real labs immediately following was very beneficial. I loved the teachers for their drive for the subjects they taught and their witty humor. I also enjoyed talking to them outside of the classroom setting.’
– Student Comment, Engineering Research
Alligator Boat Project
‘Our program was making an alligator boat from scratch. I
enjoyed the independence and the flexibility that was provided when making the boat. I liked how the teacher guided rather than lectured’
– Student Comment, Engineering Research
3D Printing Projects
‘Our program was very much fun combined with learning. I was new to 3D printing and CAD and gained a lot from our teacher. The coding was a lot of fun and we got to tweak around a lot with it. The most appreciable aspect about the program was that it was flexible and we could choose how we wanted to spend our time and what we wanted.’
– Student Comment, Engineering Research
Sailboat Projects
‘I liked building the boats and exploring coding. I also liked the electrical aspects and soldering and building the materials. Sailing the boats on the lake was fun… We learned to collaborate and all generate ideas’
– Student Comment, Engineering Research
Field Trips
Examples of past field trips include:
Boston University EPIC Center: Standing for “Engineering Product Innovation Center,” this state-of-the-art facility is home to engineering products made by students. With qualified staff and guest speakers, this building is home to the future of engineering.
MIT tour: MIT is the heart of advanced engineering, innovation, and technology. Students were able to see advanced facilities and the next generation of top-level engineers in action.
Liberty Fleet Tall Ship: Located in the Boston Harbor, students set sail on a tall ship to see the engineering principles they studied in action in this fun, summer activity.
NOTE: COVID will impact field trips. We cannot guarantee any given field trip will run as in past years or at all.
2026 Instructors:
Emily Katzner
Emily holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University, with a focus on mechatronics and systems design. She is a mechanical engineer with industry experience in electro-mechanical systems, manufacturing, and technical leadership, having worked at Draper Laboratories and Commonwealth Fusion Systems. She also serves as a Visiting Associate Professor at Wentworth Institute of Technology, where she teaches engineering design, graphics, and lab courses.
Maureen Thomas
Maureen holds a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, a top-ranked engineering program in the U.S. She has applied data-driven, AI-supported methods to improve manufacturing processes at Boston Scientific and brings valuable industry research experience. In addition, she has led engineering labs and brings strong high school teaching expertise to her role.
Past Instructor: Matthew Bowers
Dr. Bowers received his Ph.D. in Robotics Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He has experience in engineering design, development, research, and education. He is skilled in Circuit Design, Mechanical Design, Robotic Control, Machining, 3D Printing, Python, and more. Dr. Bowers taught our Engineering Research program for several years!
Student Comments
‘The program was entertaining, engaging and offered numerous opportunities for me to learn and grow. The engineering aspects of the program were true to what I expected.’
‘The program was really fun overall and I liked Matt. I liked being able to work for a long time on the project and learn about arduino and CAD. Also I thought there were good labs to be able to 3D print things.’
‘I really liked that our teacher Matt sat down with me and helped me with code. He was really knowledgeable about the content. I really enjoyed having the autonomy to create our own steering system and code.’
‘The teachers were nice, I made friends, the field trips were interesting, and Matt was knowledgeable.’
Looking for a one-week Engineering introduction? Check out Design & Engineering!
Middle school students- start early with our Boats: Design & Engineering program!
Note: This page represents our best expectations for the program. Activities and instructors are subject to change. In such cases, similar activities and a comparably qualified instructor will be sought.
Our Programs are Featured on the National Association for Gifted Children Website
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