Teens get a taste of college – and more – in Design & Build Camp

two male teens working with craft materials
The Design & Build Camp for MPS high school students interested in engineering and architecture was held on campus in June. Here the students were asked to come up with concepts for a pavillion.

This summer, a group of high school students from Milwaukee Public Schools got a sneak peek at college life – and had a blast doing it – thanks to the “UWM Design & Build Camp” for two weeks in June.

Open to MPS juniors and seniors, the two-week camp gave 19 students a chance to explore engineering and architecture by redesigning Kilbourn Reservoir Park (near 2230 N. Bremen St.). Their mission? Make the park more fun and inviting, especially as Milwaukee gets ready to open its first permanent chess park.

Two young men using CAD on a computer
Participants got experience using CAD programs to design the outdoor furniture they need for the park.
one young man teahing another young man on a power saw.
Campers learn to use a variety of power tools to build furniture.
aerial view of a group of teens handling wood planks
Painting and cutting the materials for the furniture building activity.
Two teen girls working with power tools.
Team work brought everything together. Campers came from eight differnt MPS schools.
A group of teens use maps and tracing paper
Campers convened at the architecture and engineering firm EUA to work on the site plan.
A group of people inspect wooden tables that they made.
A group proudly displays their finished product.
A group of teens giving an outdoor presentation against blue sunny skies.
Groups of campers presented what they learned to park stakeholders.
A wide shot of a city park with new tables and few trees.
Phase I of the city’s first permanent chess park is completed.

Campers met with neighbors, brainstormed ideas, and even built outdoor furniture, said Christine Beimborn, STEM-outreach coordinator in the college. They visited the architecture and engineering firm EUA to sketch out plans before pitching their ideas to city leaders. Their designs included such features as:

  • Shade structures and new trails
  • Statues that teach people how to play chess
  • A way for park visitors to check out chess sets
  • Which trees to plant for beauty and shade

Not just skill-building

But it wasn’t just about sawdust and sketches – it was also a head start on college. Sarah Blackowski, assistant professor, civil & environmental engineering, structured the camp so that the skills taught satisfied the requirements of UWM’s civil engineering 150 course. So, the campers earned college credit for free through the M3 general dual enrollment pathway.

Students were also paid a stipend for attending the camp, thanks to the nonprofit Employ Milwaukee. It was a way to make it easier for students who often have to choose between participating in career and college exploration and working a summer job, Beimborn said.

“This camp is just one way that high school students can build their skills, explore the professions and even complete college credit before they actually begin their college freshman years,” she said. “We’ve always had restrictive prerequisites for our courses. Now, many of those have been lifted.”

Additional support for the camp came from the MPS Foundation and the Nadella Scholars Program at UWM, funded by Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella (MS ’90) and his wife, Anupama Nadella.

Want to start your college journey early? Check out other programs here. Check out this article in the Daily Reporter and this report on CBS 58 News.