Most teenagers don’t get the chance to build an electric vehicle. But that’s what 15 northern Utah high school students spent last week doing at Utah State University’s Innovation Campus.
The students participated in the first-ever ASPIRE Summer EV Academy, a five-day program designed to give high school students hands-on experience with electric vehicle systems and introduce them to careers in engineering, manufacturing, and energy.
At Utah State, the ASPIRE Engineering Research Center has two goals: advance electric transportation and prepare the next generation of engineers to build it. The EV Academy combines those goals by giving students the opportunity to work directly with electric vehicle technology.
Program Coordinator Kat Webb said exposing students to engineering at an early age can help them discover career paths they might not otherwise consider.
“We know from some of our research that most students have kind of got an idea of where they want to go by middle school,” Webb said. “So if we want to get more students in STEM fields, we have to advertise it to younger and younger students.”
During the academy, students worked with an electric vehicle platform developed by Switch Vehicles. They learned about components including electrical wiring, batteries and vehicle integration before putting what they learned into practice.
Cameron Cox, a senior electrical engineering student at Utah State, helped teach the academy. He said students were responsible for much of the vehicle’s construction rather than simply watching demonstrations.
“The students, they make everything,” Cox said. “We’ll give some pointers, but they make it from the ground up. All the wiring, minus anything that could be dangerous, they put together.”
Cox said the experience can give high school students an early opportunity to explore engineering and build experience that could help them pursue future internships and careers.
The academy is part of ASPIRE’s broader effort to prepare students for careers related to electrified transportation. Organizers say they hope to offer additional EV Academy sessions in the future as demand for engineers and skilled workers in the industry continues to grow.
