We have launched the Mobile Energy Lab program as an outreach effort to spread knowledge and science to schools that do not have the full means to explore the STEM field. We are taking science experiments related to sustainable energy
such as batteries, fuel cells, solar cell, 3D printing etc., to all public schools in Detroit and offering high-school and middle school students an immersive and unique experience into the sciences. Through this exposure, we hope
to help elevate the level of participation amongst students in the sciences and expose potential scientists to the different fields in STEM.
This week, the Wayne State University College of Engineering welcomed to campus five outstanding students from AGBU Alex and Marie Manoogian School in Southfield, Michigan, to receive certificates for completion of the Summer High School Apprentice
Program in Engineering (SHAPE).
SHAPE was introduced this year as an opportunity for high school students to work on emerging energy technologies, particularly batteries. The initiative was inspired by another youth outreach effort
coordinated by Leela Arava, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Wayne State."We visited Manoogian as part of the Mobile Energy Lab program
and recruited those five brightest students to come and work in the lab for six weeks," said Arava.
"They worked with my graduate students on research projects and gained tremendous hands-on experience at a very early stage of their
careers."Students came to campus Monday through Wednesday. Each week's curriculum was centered on a unique theme, including material synthesis, micro-level structure and composition, coin cell fabrication, battery testing, and sensor integration.
In the final week, the students toured various laboratories and made presentations to faculty and mentors.