Entering 7 – 9

Designing and Engineering Bridges

Are you ready to take your design and engineering skills to the next level? In this program, you will learn about and build models of various types of bridges, including truss bridges like the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and suspension bridges like the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Together we will discuss engineering challenges, explore some physics fundamentals, and learn how to analyze static and dynamic forces. During the program you will “play” lead engineer to design, build, and then test bridges that can support human needs and withstand natural forces. You will learn basic bridge types and gain fundamentals of bridge engineering and construction.

Two students are holding up a model bridge that they have designed and built.

Camp Info

Dates: 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m, 07/10/2023 – 07/14/2023

Location: Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley Campus

Housing: No on-campus housing available.

Food: Participants bring lunch and snacks from home.

Program Tuition: $995 or $895(reduced)

A Day in the Life

Our days begin with gathering on campus and signing in to our respective tracks. Teens head to their lab spaces and form an opening circle to frame the day, including a quick social check-in and themed invitation to learning. They then engage in related explorations and investigations in small groups, such as building and weight testing various types of bridges or designing a structure to withstand a powerful earthquake. Midday, teens take time to eat lunch on a campus green and enjoy some social downtime together. Afternoons continue investigations and incorporate tours to related labs, museum exhibits, and sites on and off campus. Alternatively, grad students or faculty may join the group for Q&A and sharing about cutting-edge research happening on or off campus. Content wraps up with a closing circle around 3:45 p.m., after which the teens gather together again for additional science and engineering career pathway programming in mixed groups. This can include a campus tour, current student panel Q&A, and other personal or professional development workshops. Teens head home at 5:30.

Staff Bio

Coming soon… All staff are experts in the related field and go through an extensive interview process and background check.