Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab

The Michigan Engineering Zone is currently operating remotely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All programs are still running through online, virtual platforms. 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

ThinkabitLab@umich.edu

Michigan Engineering Zone, 3663 Woodward Avenue, Suite 100, Detroit, MI 48201