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.
Contact
Thinkabit Lab Coordinators LaShawn Sims & Haley Hart
Michigan Engineering Zone, 3663 Woodward Avenue, Suite 100, Detroit, MI 48201