More than 30 middle school students from around the Southeast participated in the MITES program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (The Herald/Submitted Photo)

Thirty-one middle-schoolers from around the Southeast came to the University of Tennessee in June to design egg-drop bungees, rollercoasters and even construct a microgrid.

The College of Engineering hosted the AT&T Middle School Introduction for Engineering Systems (MITES) program where minority and female students—groups underrepresented in engineering—got an up-close look at the in-demand field and had fun doing it. The program was for African-American, Hispanic/Latino American, Native American and female seventh- and eighth-grade students.

“The objective was to provide an introduction to engineering, showcase the applications of math and science, and learn what engineers do in the real world,” said Richard Bennett, coordinator of curriculum content for pre-college summer programs. “The students performed hands-on activities to learn what engineers do and also used iPads to document their activities in construction, medicine and energy, so they could get a feel for how engineers operate today.”

Participants also explored campus, competed in engineering challenges, cultivated friendships and gained a jump-start on their academic careers.

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