Following Gov. Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order and guidelines published by the University of Michigan, The Michigan Engineering Zone will remain closed through April 13, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All summer programs (including the NAF Future Ready Scholars program and the Thinkabit Lab Qcamps) are still scheduled to move forward as planned. Our staff is working remotely, so please contact thinkabitlab@umich.edu if you have any questions!
The Qualcomm® Thinkabit Lab™ at the University of Michigan is a multi-year collaboration between Qualcomm Incorporated and Michigan Engineering providing youth in the Detroit and Southeast Michigan area with a unique, hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) raising awareness of careers they may not know exist.
The Thinkabit Lab inspires year-round, hosting classes from local schools during the academic year and camp programs during the summer. Link to summer camp info here.
Typical Day
- Students arrive at the Detroit Center in the morning and receive their personalized badge
- Students enter the Qualcomm®World of Work (QWOW™) space where they engage in activities to discover their own talents and are introduced to concepts in growing STEM fields, such as:
- Invention
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- 5G
- Creative robotics
- Data science and communications
- Lunch is provided
- Students then build on what they learned in QWOW by engage in fun and inventive, hands-on engineering projects, guided by trained, experienced Thinkabit Lab coordinators. They learn:
- Basic programming
- Problem solving
- Teamwork
- Critical thinking
- Application of STEM concepts to their own inventions
Facts and Figures
- Lab serves up to 30 students per day, three days/week, 3,000 students in a year!
- The MEZ Detroit location is one of three cornerstone Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab sites across the nation, putting it at the forefront of this STEM engagement program.
Benefits of Thinkabit Lab
- Students get exposure to STEM concepts and careers essential to tomorrow’s workforce, not only at Qualcomm, but also in every aspect of building the wireless, IoT, and 5G ecosystems.
- The experience opens students’ eyes to careers they may not know exist.
- Unique hands-on engineering activities encourage students to be inventive.
- The lab provides a free and accessible STEM experience for underserved youth in the Detroit and Southeast Michigan area.
For more information, contact:
Thinkabit Lab Coordinators LaShawn Sims & Haley Hart
Michigan Engineering Zone, 3663 Woodward Avenue, Suite 100, Detroit, MI 48201
