ExciTES
FABIOLA TERRAZAS DUARTE | June 17, 2019
The end of the 2018-2019 academic year heralds the arrival of another learning opportunity on The University of Texas at El Paso campus that is available to all area students. The annual Excellence in Technology, Engineering, and Science (ExciTES) Summer Institute, which offers inquiry-based and team-oriented projects and activities to students in grades third through 11th, begins offering sessions June 3, 2019, on the UTEP campus.
The goal of ExciTES is to encourage students to use their knowledge, imagination and creativity, to solve specific challenges that will give them a better understanding of the different fields of engineering and to give them a start on their own paths to a career in engineering.
“This year ExciTES will offer three coding/computer science sessions to middle school girls to meet to the ever-changing world of technology and engineering,” said Gabby Gandara, Assistant Dean for Engineering Student Success.
A highlight of this year’s ExciTES program is the Sol y Agua Coding for Girls sessions. The session uses a game-based platform that encourages participants to engage in coding while investigating water issues and horticulture that is relevant to the region. Participants will conclude the session by designing an electronic interface to extract water usage data from plants.
The Sol y Agua sessions will be offered in three separate one-week stints with a participation limit of 50 girls per week. Two sessions will be dedicated to our partners at the El Paso Independent District’s Young Women’s STEAM Academy and the Ysleta Independent District’s Young Women’s Leadership Academy.
To participate in ExciTES, students must apply. The application is available online for students to submit their general information, their interests, and a personal essay. Applications will be reviewed and students and parents will be notified no later than one week prior to the session start date.
The Texas Workforce Commission offers a grant for the ExciTES Scholarships, which will be available for the July 22-26 Sol y Agua session.
For more information on the Sol y Agua session and the other sessions provided by the ExciTES Summer Institute, visit excites.utep.edu.