MC^2

On February 24th, the William States Lee College of Engineering welcomed approximately 300 high school students, freshman to seniors, into the Energy Production & Infrastructure Center for the Mini Carolina’s Conference, MC^2. The conference was a miniature version of the Carolinas Conference that UNC Charlotte engineering students attend every year. The high school students competed in hands-on electrical, mechanical, and civil engineering competitions.

Each of the competitions was conducted by current UNC Charlotte engineering students. They were there to help the high schoolers understand the rules of the competition but were not able to provide them with any instructional help on how to better their projects. The students competed in teams in each of the five competitions. The three civil engineering competitions consisted of energy, geotechnology, and structural events; the students created wind turbines, used paper, sand, and tape to withhold up to 150 pounds, and tested popsicle stick bridges.

While the high school students were on campus they also received a tour of the facilities from current engineering students. After all of the competitions were completed, an awards ceremony was held for the highest-scoring groups in each competition.