Virtual Engineering Design EXPO Welcomes K-12 Across Three Countries
June 12, 2020
This year’s virtual Engineering Design EXPO had more than 14,000 unique visitors log on to explore capstone projects, and judges scored 41 virtual capstone presentations during 20 hours of simultaneous Zoom sessions. This year’s virtual K-12 program, the EXPO Extended Experience, welcomed fifth through 12th graders to participate in hands-on activities and submit completed projects to win prizes and a $4,000 U of I scholarship. Participants were also able to explore capstone projects through videos generated by EXPO interdisciplinary teams. Hundreds of students from areas including the Pacific Northwest, Poland and Nigeria participated. Of the 189 participants from 114 schools, 55% were women. Eighty-four percent of participants said they were more likely to pursue STEM and had an interest in attending the U of I College of Engineering after participating in EXPO.
EXPO is the longest-running student engineering and technological innovation showcase in the Pacific Northwest. The event, normally held on campus, welcomes hundreds of K-12 students, industry partners and community members to explore industry-sponsored projects designed by current U of I students in our nationally-recognized senior design program. With safety a top priority in 2020, the event was re-envisioned as a virtual experience.
The college would like to thank its 2020 sponsors: Wagstaff, Idaho STEM Action Center, Avista, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, DC Engineering, GeoTek, Inc., Idaho Power Company, Itron, Idaho National Laboratory, J-U-B Engineers, the Micron Foundation, ON Semiconductor, POWER Engineers and J.R. Simplot Company Foundation.
Plans are already in the works to create a virtual experience during next year’s EXPO, scheduled for April 30, 2021. Learn more about EXPO.
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho, home of the Vandals, is Idaho’s land-grant, national research university. From its residential campus in Moscow, U of I serves the state of Idaho through educational centers in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Falls, nine research and Extension centers, plus Extension offices in 42 counties. Home to nearly 11,000 students statewide, U of I is a leader in student-centered learning and excels at interdisciplinary research, service to businesses and communities, and in advancing diversity, citizenship and global outreach. U of I competes in the Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences. Learn more at uidaho.edu