Summer Springboard
Engineering & Science
ACADEMIC TRACK
About This Track
This track supercharges your curiosity for innovation by challenging you to think like an engineer and a scientist, all through dynamic, hands on exploration.
You will dive deep into areas such as design, structures, systems, and physical principles, actively tackling real world challenges. The focus is on building technical intuition, experimentation, and creative problem solving, all in a highly immersive, project based format.
What sets this track apart is the chance to push boundaries across disciplines, from biomedical science and renewable energy to aerospace and environmental engineering, in a collaborative, future focused environment.
You will learn through doing, iterate rapidly, and bring ideas to life, all while gaining insight into how scientific discovery and engineering shape our world.
Summer Springboard
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Courses In This Track
Do you wonder what it’s like to design bridges, explore renewable energy, or study the science behind medical breakthroughs? Do you possess a natural curiosity toward innovation and discovery? These courses challenge students to think critically about today’s most pressing scientific and engineering questions and create solutions to real world design challenges.
Aerospace Engineering
Course
Our Aerospace Engineering program offers students the chance to understand the physics and dynamics of air and spacecraft using basic orbital mechanics. Students will participate in hands-on design challenges, ultimately building and launching their own glider or rocket.
Applied Bioinformatics
Course
Bioinformatics combines biology, computer science, and statistics to transform how we study life, from genomes to ecosystems. By turning big data into discovery, it drives innovation across healthcare, agriculture, and environmental science. Through hands-on research, students develop critical-thinking skills, analyze complex data, and explore fundamental questions in ecology and evolution.
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Astrophysics
Course
Are you fascinated by how the universe came to be and the mysteries it contains? The Astrophysics program gives you the chance to explore one of the most captivating and wide-reaching areas of science. Across two weeks, you will build a solid foundation in core concepts, take part in hands-on projects, and uncover the endless wonders of the cosmos. The program is designed to deepen your understanding of the universe while strengthening your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
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Automotive Engineering
Course
Explore the dynamic and versatile field of Automotive Engineering in the heart of Michigan, a state renowned for its auto manufacturing industry, heavily reliant on mechanical and automotive engineers for the design and production of automobiles and auto parts. Join our two-week program at The University of Michigan, renowned for hosting one of the nation’s top automotive engineering programs, and immerse yourself in the realm of engineering, innovation, and problem-solving.
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Biomedical Engineering
Course
Do you love engineering, computers and also life sciences? Are you interested in diagnosing and designing devices to diagnose and treat diseases? The Summer Springboard Biomedical Engineering course exposes students to the basics of a career in one of the hottest engineering fields today.
Design Thinking & Rapid Prototyping
Course
This course will introduce students to 3D CAD design and fast prototyping using a 3D printer. Students will learn how to design products using Autodesk Fusion360 and then build a Creality Ender Pro V2 3D printer. They will also learn how to use the 3D printer for fast prototyping, review, and improvements of their designs.
The course will cover the principles of 3D CAD design, including design methodology, geometric modeling, and assembly modeling. Students will also learn the fundamentals of 3D printing, including how to select and maintain a 3D printer, materials, and printing techniques.
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Ecology & Environmental Science
Course
Our program in Environmental Studies offers an interdisciplinary look at issues pertaining to ecology and sustainability, without focusing on the scientific side. The focus is on the impact of humans on environmental issues and encourages students to gain a broader understanding of how the multitude of issues that affect our environment.
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Electrical Engineering
Course
As mechatronics becomes increasingly vital in modern technology, this course blends electrical and mechanical engineering to give high school students a hands-on foundation in circuits, sensors, and mechanical systems. Through team projects, creative experiments, and guided problem-solving, students see how real-world technologies integrate both fields. The program concludes with a capstone project where learners apply their skills and showcase their understanding of mechatronics.
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Energy for a Sustainable Society
Course
Students will explore energy sources, their uses, and how food and agricultural waste can be repurposed into renewable energy. Through lessons, daily energy-awareness activities, and field experiences, they will connect global sustainability challenges to personal choices and community action. Mini-labs will introduce additional renewable energy pathways, such as ethanol fermentation and biodiesel production, giving students a broad view of bioenergy systems.
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Engineering: A Project Based Introduction
Course
This hands-on engineering course welcomes all students, from freshmen to seniors, to design, build, and test an aquatic robot. Through the project, students apply physics, math, and engineering concepts while exploring electric motors, control systems, structural design, and construction techniques. The course emphasizes independent learning, creative problem-solving, and practical skills, with insights from industry professionals to inspire a passion for engineering and prepare students for future academic and career pursuits.
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Engineering, Design and Global Innovation
Course
In this course, students design, prototype, and test real-world solutions to complex global challenges, working with instructors, peers, and international community partners. Using a hands-on approach, they combine daily lectures with practical making, learning skills such as research, teamwork, ideation, prototyping, and evaluation. Students select a challenge from topics like clean water, agriculture, energy, housing, or mobility, and collaborate with local communities around the world. Prototyping focuses on accessible materials and basic fabrication methods, with supervised access to advanced tools in the makerspace. The program blends lectures, discussions, mentorship, and reflection to teach design thinking, ethical research, and practical problem-solving.
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Environmental Engineering
Course
This course offers an engaging introduction to the field of environmental engineering, exploring how engineers address today’s most pressing environmental challenges such as clean water, renewable energy, waste reduction, air quality, and sustainable urban development. Through hands-on experiments, team-based design challenges, and field-based learning, students will gain a solid foundation in core engineering principles while developing critical thinking and collaboration skills. The course culminates in a final project where students design and prototype a sustainable solution to an environmental issue of their choice, gaining a deeper understanding of how environmental engineers contribute to building a more sustainable future.
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Forensic Science
Course
This course offers an engaging introduction to the field of environmental engineering, exploring how engineers address today’s most pressing environmental challenges such as clean water, renewable energy, waste reduction, air quality, and sustainable urban development. Through hands-on experiments, team-based design challenges, and field-based learning, students will gain a solid foundation in core engineering principles while developing critical thinking and collaboration skills. The course culminates in a final project where students design and prototype a sustainable solution to an environmental issue of their choice, gaining a deeper understanding of how environmental engineers contribute to building a more sustainable future.
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Foundations of Human Genetics
Course
Explore the foundations of life in this hands-on introduction to human genetics, where students learn how DNA shapes traits, drives genetic disorders, and impacts medicine and society. Through labs, simulations, and bioinformatics, they analyze gene sequences, design experiments, and gain practical skills, while also discovering careers in research, healthcare, and biotechnology.
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Fundamentals of Engineering
Course
This engineering summer program for high school students doesn’t just tackle engineering and science fundamentals, it also challenges students to think critically and creatively about how to design innovative solutions to complex problems. We will explore facets of mechanical, structural, civil, and biomedical engineering in a hands-on, minds-on approach.
Marine Biology
Course
Roughly 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by our oceans, of which more than 80% remain unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored. There is a vast and diverse amount of marine life and ecosystems found in our oceans – those both discovered and researched, and those still wading in the depths.
Summer Springboard’s course in Marine Science and Ecology will offer students the opportunity to explore these various marine life and ecosystems. Students will explore select marine life, learn about the different habitats they live in and the ways their ecosystems interact, study various threats facing our oceans and marine life today, and hear from leading experts in the field.
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Marine Science & Ecology
Course
Dive into the ocean environment as you study marine ecosystems and the incredible diversity of life they support. You will build skills in monitoring and assessing ecosystem health and biodiversity, practicing sampling methods, data analysis, and interpretation. Along the way, you will also explore the human and natural forces that threaten our oceans and examine current and future conservation efforts.
With oceans covering nearly 70% of Earth’s surface and over 80% still unmapped and unexplored, the potential for discovery is endless. This program invites you to investigate the vast range of marine life and habitats, understand how these ecosystems function, and uncover the pressing challenges they face today. Guided by experts, you will explore select species, their environments, and the delicate balance that sustains life beneath the surface.
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Mechanical Engineering
Course
Explore the dynamic and versatile field of Mechanical Engineering in the heart of Michigan, a state renowned for its auto manufacturing industry, heavily reliant on mechanical engineers for the design and production of automobiles and auto parts. Join our two-week program at The University of Michigan, renowned for hosting one of the world’s top mechanical engineering programs, and immerse yourself in the realm of engineering, innovation, and problem-solving.
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Physics & Quantum Computing
Course
Quantum computing is going to revolutionize the field of technology over the next decade. What is quantum computing? It is a rapidly-emerging technology that harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that are too complex for classical computers.
The tools being used in this field were just imagination three decades ago. Superconducting quantum processors are being designed by companies like IBM to build superconducting quantum processors that will supply quantum computing speed and capacity that will change the world.
This course will help prepare the next generation of students with the quantum knowledge and skills. This course will introduce key quantum computing concepts, like superposition and entanglement. Students will also explore quantum phenomena and applications. They will learn from curriculum designed by leading experts in academia and the quantum computing industry.
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Robotics
Course
This program introduces students to the mechanics, electronics, and intelligence behind autonomous machines. Students learn to build, wire, and program robots capable of sensing and reacting to their environment. Through daily hands-on challenges, they gain a foundation in motors, sensors, microcontrollers, and autonomy.
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Summer Springboard
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*Summer Springboard programs are not run by our campus partners (with the exception of Cal Poly and NYSID which are run in partnership with SSB). Universities and their affiliated departments and partners do not control and are not responsible or liable in any manner for any part of the Summer Springboard program.