Pre-Collegiate Initiatives
If you're a student or parent of a student looking to find out more about engineering, you're in the right place! The PDCI office provides immersive STEM activities for those ages 10 and up. Expand the sections below to learn more.
Don't see quite what you're looking for? Please contact us at ceas_iece@ucmail.uc.edu to see if we are able to take your special request and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
Looking to find out more about what CEAS has to offer? Come to our place... or invite us over to yours! Our outreach professionals have availability for on-site or traveling visits that include an in-person or virtual tour, a hands-on engineering design challenge, and a Q&A panel with current UC students. On-site visitors are also welcome to bring lunch and eat during the visit. All at no cost to you!
On-site visits take place between 10:00a.m. and 1:00p.m. on Thursdays. Traveling visits take place between 10:00a.m. and 12:00p.m. (timing is adjustable) on Mondays. If you are interested in booking, please fill out this information form.
Please note: visits are scheduled a minimum of 4 weeks in advance and spots are limited. At this time, we can only accomodate students 5th grade and above.
GE Next Engineers Summer Camps are one-week immersive experiences that allow students to get hands-on with engineering and interact with working engineers from GE Aerospace here in Cincinnati. Camps will take place in June and July of 2025. More information will be released in December 2024. Please visit the Next Engineers website or join the interest list.
Engineering summer camps are coming back for 2025! Camps are open to students from across the world that are rising 9th-12th graders. We do not take younger students at this time. We anticipate opening applications on February 1st, 2025 and closing applications on April 1st, 2025.
If you'd like to be notified when camp applications open, please add your information to the interest list.
What time does camp run?
All camps run 9am-4pm. Rising Engineers and CEAS have a paid option for overnight accommodation if desired.
How much does camp cost?
Camp costs vary depending on the week desired. GE Camps are free. Young or Rising Engineers Camps are $125. CEAS Camp is $250. Rising Engineers and CEAS campers can stay on campus for $400 (Sunday night-Friday afternoon), including all meals and evening entertainment. Students wishing to park can pay the daily rate of $10 (subject to change) or $35 for a weeklong parking pass. Students will get an opportunity to visit local businesses and the gift shop, so personal spending funds are at your discretion.
Are there scholarships?
The camp was subsidized to keep it as affordable as possible. We only have scholarship funds for students in the Cincinnati area. However, we encourage all to apply regardless of ability to pay. Any student wishing to stay in the dorms is responsible for the full cost of their stay.
What does a typical day look like?
Camp is a living, breathing thing! We work with hundreds of people to create multiple weeks of learning for campers. All parents will receive a full itinerary prior to the start of camp; however, it is not ready for sharing at this time. However, a typical day will consist of an engineering design challenge or hands-on activity, a lecture, a tour, and a College/Career Readiness game. Students will meet with professors, staff members, industry partners, and current students to get a full scope of both the engineering field as well as what life is like as an engineering student at UC.
Will my child be allowed to check out the campus on his/her own?
Your children’s safety is of our utmost concern. While we understand that at home, they may have more independence and freedom, they are still minors in our care. Students may be taken to a general area and given freedom to wander around, however, they will have a counselor available to them and always supervising with frequent check-ins. Students are not allowed to leave unsupervised until dismissal, and any student that is not at morning attendance will receive a parent call to ensure safety. Additionally, all camp staff are fingerprinted and have multiple hours of training in minor care and abuse prevention.
Can I still apply if I am not sure I want to study engineering/can’t code/came in years past/don’t have a 4.0?
Whatever your question is, the answer is YES! These camps are scaffolded to provide a beneficial experience no matter what your skill level. We focus on more than just hard skills and will also discuss current research, communication skills, conflict resolution, creativity, and self-advocacy. The curriculum is ever-changing, and the experience will change from year to year. However, this is still a CAMP and not a college course. While we dive into academic learning, please know that we will not be covering the same level of assessment-based learning typically seen in the classroom.
What if you didn’t answer my question?
Reach out to us! You can email Camp Manager Blaire Bartish at CEASSummerCamps@ucmail.uc.edu or call 513-556-7650
CEAS Camps
You’ve done the research, attended the camps, now get ready to work as a junior engineer! This camp is designed for students who are confident in their intended major declaration and want to start working on building skills and knowledge prior to their college applications. Students will choose one of four tracks for engaging small group instruction focused on two or three specific engineering fields. Get an in-depth view of new research, tour specialty facilities, meet with members from campus specialty-interest organizations, and most importantly, have fun and make friends! Previous CEAS Summer Campers are encouraged to apply.
Day camp $250, residential $650
What time does camp run?
All camps run 9am-4pm. Rising Engineers and CEAS have a paid option for overnight accommodation if desired.
How much does camp cost?
Camp costs vary depending on the week desired. GE Camps are free. Young or Rising Engineers Camps are $125. CEAS Camp is $250. Rising Engineers and CEAS campers can stay on campus for $400 (Sunday night-Friday afternoon), including all meals and evening entertainment. Students wishing to park can pay the daily rate of $10 (subject to change) or $35 for a weeklong parking pass. Students will get an opportunity to visit local businesses and the gift shop, so personal spending funds are at your discretion.
Are there scholarships?
The camp was subsidized to keep it as affordable as possible. We only have scholarship funds for students in the Cincinnati area. However, we encourage all to apply regardless of ability to pay. PLEASE NOTE WE NO LONGER HAVE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING FOR OVERNIGHT STAYS. Any student wishing to stay in the dorms is responsible for the full cost of their stay.
What does a typical day look like?
Camp is a living, breathing thing! We work with hundreds of people to create multiple weeks of learning for campers. All parents will receive a full itinerary before the start of camp; however, it is not ready for sharing now. However, a typical day will consist of an engineering design challenge or hands-on activity, a lecture, a tour, and a College/Career Readiness game. Students will meet with professors, staff members, industry partners, and current students to get a full scope of both the engineering field as well as what life is like as an engineering student at UC.
Will my child be allowed to check out the campus on his/her own?
Your children’s safety is of our utmost concern. While we understand that at home, they may have more independence and freedom, they are still minors in our care. Students may be taken to a general area and given freedom to wander around, however, they will have a counselor available to them and always supervising with frequent check-ins. Students are not allowed to leave unsupervised until dismissal, and any student that is not at morning attendance will receive a parent call to ensure safety. Additionally, all camp staff are fingerprinted and have multiple hours of training in minor care and abuse prevention.
Can I still apply if I am not sure I want to study engineering/can’t code/came in years past/don’t have a 4.0?
Whatever your question is, the answer is YES! These camps are scaffolded to provide a beneficial experience no matter what your skill level. We focus on more than just hard skills and will also discuss current research, communication skills, conflict resolution, creativity, and self-advocacy. The curriculum is ever-changing, and the experience will change from year to year. However, this is still a CAMP and not a college course. While we dive into academic learning, please know that we will not be covering the same level of assessment-based learning typically seen in the classroom.
What if you didn’t answer my question?
Reach out to us! You can email Camp Manager Blaire Bartish at CEAS_IECE@ucmail.uc.edu or call 513-556-1283
GE Next Engineers Academy Program
Over the course of three years, high school students from 10th to 12th grade learn to think and act like engineers and prepare to advance to post-secondary education. Next Engineers [G(1] [T(2] [G(3] Academy includes a series of immersive design challenges, career coaching, and college-readiness workshops to equip youth with the skills they need to build an engineering identity and career. Students who complete the program and enroll in a post-secondary engineering degree program will receive a partial scholarship from the GE Foundation.
GE Next Engineers Discovery Program
Through Engineering Discovery, GE volunteers and Next Engineers community partners bring engineering demonstrations and hands-on activities into the classroom and community for educational sessions running between 30 minutes and 2 hours. Students may learn about a scientific concept, such as buoyancy or atmospheric pressure, and learn how engineers apply these concepts to design new inventions. GE volunteers also share their stories and answer questions about their jobs and experiences as engineers.
Engineering Discovery aims to reach +500 students in each Next Engineers location every year. We partner with local schools to visit classrooms. Occasionally, Engineering Discovery also hosts public events, such as Engineer Days or Parent Nights. Visit your Location page to find out when and where Discovery events may happen near you.
Contact Us
