Who are we?
TryEngineering Summer Institute is a partnership between IEEE and Summer Squares.
IEEE is the world’s largest professional association for the advancement of technology. Our more than 417,000 members in 160 countries, including more than 120,000 student members, help us provide the trusted "voice" for engineering, computing and technology information around the globe via highly-cited publications, conferences, technology standards and professional and educational activities.
Summer Squares, Inc. (SSI) is an exceptional provider of academic summer camps for schools, colleges and universities across the United States. SSI manages the daily operations of the TryEngineering Summer Institute.
How do we do it?
Organized in nine day sessions each summer, on college and university campuses across the United States, the TryEngineering Summer Institute engineering camp unites students from around the world—co-ed, between 13-17 years old—to:
- engage in hands-on design challenges who love or have interest in science, building, or engineering
- experience the work firsthand with behind-the-scenes tours with real-life engineers
- discover not just what's happening today, but what's coming tomorrow, through conversations with renowned guest speakers and incredible TryEngineering Summer Institute counselors
Give us nine days, and we'll give you a new definition of what it means to be an engineer at our pre-college engineering program designed exclusively for our students by the team at the TryEngineering Summer Institute
Our History
The Summer Institute is a program of TryEngineering.org, which was launched in 2006 as the result of collaboration between IEEE, IBM and the New York Hall of Science. The goal of TryEngineering is to equip teachers with the skills to teach engineering lessons in the classroom, raise interest in engineering careers, improve access to high-quality educational resources, and show students how engineering can be a part of their future.
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Our Students and Parents Say...
From students:
“It was over all an amazing experience. This is the longest that I have ever been away from home without my family. It has been really fun forming the friendships that I have, especially over this short period of time.”
“Thank you so much for this opportunity. It has been one of a kind."
“My favorite aspects of the summer program were collaborating and learning from industry leaders and college students.”
"Thank you so much again for this amazing, eye-opening, and life-changing experience."
"It was my first ever camp and staff were amazing!"
"I like how the Summer Institute provides an introduction to a student's college life in the engineering field. Participating in hands-on projects and living in the dorm were amazing and fun experiences that I will not forget."
"I loved the experience, I made friends during the program and connections through IEEE that I enjoyed and cannot wait to continue to pursue the field of Electrical Engineering"
And from parents:
“TryEngineering gave my child an in-depth introduction to engineering. My child had the opportunity to build a drone, a smart car and launch rockets. The counselors, resident assistants and instructors were amazing! They were kind, encouraging and knowledgeable. It was an experience my child will never forget!”
“Thank you so much for offering [my son] access to this camp. He came home motivated, proud and even more certain a career in engineering is his goal.”
“[The program] really boosted [my son’s] confidence. Now he is actually excited about engineering and looking forward to going to college!”
“I’ve noticed a great change in my daughter after the [program]. She’s much more mature, more sure of herself; she acquired so much new knowledge.”
"This summer was an incredible experience for my son. From start to finish the program was well run and thoughtfully planned."
"[My son] had fun and made some new friends. Gained confidence and excitement about the college experience."
"My son had an engaging and fun experience...we never heard from him so we knew he was enjoying it!"
With nonstop sunshine and the beaches, strands, shopping and more just a stone’s throw from campus, our USD TESI students will really have a wonderful summer. With such beautiful surroundings, we get the chance to explore and maybe even find the legendary fish taco truck!
The University of Pennsylvania is a fabulous, safe urban campus located in the heart of Philadelphia. This allows us easy access to many of the local sights, sounds and flavors available to us!
The entrance is staffed by Penn Security 24/7. Inside is our air-conditioned wonderland, packed with the same fabulous amenities the Penn students enjoy. We also have our own outdoor area, inside the secure walls, where we have patio seating, tables, a grassy area, and more. It is quite lovely.
Past students have had the opportunity to discover on-campus engineering tools, equipment and technology that will be available to them as future engineering students. In previous summers we have toured the engineering departments at our host venues to meet and greet and see what are the latest aspects and cutting edge work that is being done.
Get a peek at the inner workings of top engineering companies and centers and discover the world inside your dream career! In previous years, our students:
Students will gain valuable knowledge from engineering professionals on how to succeed in college and in an engineering career.
TryEngineering Summer Institute students explore engineering design challenges through hands-on teamwork. Previous students participated in projects such as:
