NewsLocal News

Actions

Detroit student lab aims to inspire careers in STEM fields

Detroit student lab aims to inspire careers in STEM fields
Posted

A business-academic collaboration is responsible for creating a program that aims to introduce middle-school students to science, technology, engineering and math careers.

The University of Michigan College of Engineering and chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. announced Thursday they opened a Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab in Detroit. They say roughly 3,000 students annually will participate in workshops through the hands-on engineering and career awareness program.

Activities include learning basic programming and designing and building robotic devices. Organizers say they ultimately hope to grow a diverse workforce in the fields known by the acronym STEM, and help strengthen the region's economy.

This is the third regional hub for the Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab. The original is at Qualcomm's San Diego headquarters, and a second opened last year at Virginia Tech's Falls Church, Virginia campus.