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Outreach ambassadors in front of Pond Gap Elementary.

TCE Outreach Wraps Busy Fall Semester

The Tickle College of Engineering outreach team had a busy fall. Representatives from units and departments across the college were excited to get back to what they love to do: interacting with K–12 groups in the Knoxville community and beyond.

Here is just a sampling of some of the outreach activities completed over the past few months:

  • Big Orange Preview: Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) ambassadors and other college departments hosted tours for prospective students during this fall event.
  • Engineering Fundamentals (EF) 327 created four different activities for Christenberry Elementary School, and gave away the activities as STEM kits for ChriSTEMberry Drive-Through STEM night in October.
  • ISE ambassadors visited South Doyle High School virtually to share about their major as well as answer questions about internships and co-ops.
  • Outreach ambassadors created a presentation—Smart Wearable Watches—which teaches about the different domains of engineering through the creation and evolution of smart watches. If you are interested in having our Outreach ambassadors give this program to your students, please email tceoutreach@utk.edu.
  • ISE continued their involvement with Knox County School’s Gear Up 4 STEM program, which is a year-long project at Belle Morris and Beaumont Elementary Schools.
  • TCE kicked off a partnership with West Hills Elementary School YMCA afterschool program where ISE ambassadors and EF 327 students taught lessons to the students on topics like inventions, the difference between a scientist and an engineer, and static electricity.
  • TCE’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) kicked off their new afterschool Engineering Club at Pond Gap Elementary School.

  • Biomedical Engineering Society relaunches Project in a Box. Project in a Box is an outreach program organized by the Biomedical Engineering Society at UT. The goal of Project in a Box is to encourage STEM interest in middle and high school students in the Knoxville area by introducing them to biomedical engineering and the steps of the engineering design process through hands-on projects. Each school visit starts with a presentation given by biomedical engineering students from UT explaining what biomedical engineering is as well as the various career opportunities in the field. Then, students will start their projects which will focus on the many elements of engineering design, especially in relation to the medical field. These projects allow students to understand the critical thinking skills that engineers use in their careers every day. You can visit their website to learn more at About PIB – UTK BMES. You can also see the variety of projects that are offered to students at Project Catalog – UTK BMESIf your school would like to have Project in a Box visit and give a presentation, please email Rachel Ivy at rivy4@vols.utk.edu.
  • Robertsville Middle School SECME (Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering) came to visit campus in November for an activity and a tour.  If you’re interested in visiting TCE, please complete this form.
  • LIKE and Subscribe (Let’s Interest Kids in Engineering) – Office of Community Engagement and Outreach grant awarded to members of the Outreach subcommittee to create engineering subscription boxes to afterschool programs and middle school classes. Interested? Email tceoutreach@utk.edu to learn more!