Self-made Engineering Leaders of the Future (SELF) for High School Students
Self-made Engineers of the Future (SELF) 2024 Application
June 23 to June 26, 2024 (application deadline is May 10, 2024)
SELF Activities Slides
Connecting young rural girls to STEM careers through research, mentoring and community service in forest bio-products
The SELF Institute is a residential program for Maine’s rural high school students. The three-and-a- half day program will focus on the responsible use of forest ecosystems as a building block for sustainable and renewable energy. Students will explore cutting-edge forest bioproducts research at the University of Maine by participating in demonstrations, hands-on projects and field trips. Participants will also have recreational activities at the New Balance Student Recreation Center.
This program started as a partnership between College of Engineering, Forest Bioproducts Research Institute, and University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA.
Institute activities include
- Demonstrations of physical principles and properties of wood and wood products
- Visiting University Forest to learn about harvest methods and systems, logging equipment and costs
- Observation and work on chemical and physical processes in the making of transportation fuels (ethanol, jet fuel) from woody biomass and estimate the cost of manufacturing
- Analysis of sustainability attitudes
- Focus group on renewable energy in Maine
To qualify for the institute applicants must
- Be a high school student, preferably a sophomore from Maine
- Have an interest in science and technology
- Submit a report card
- Submit an essay on why she wants to participate in the institute
- Have at least one letter of recommendation
For more information contact:
Christina VonTorne
christina.vontorne@maine.edu
Phone: 207.581.1489