By Elissa Milto

At the end of August, Meredith Portsmore (pictured), CEEO Director, led a day-long, hands-on engineering workshop for thirty middle and high school students from Korea. The students traveled to the United States as part of a delegation from Jeju Science High School on Jeju Island in South Korea. This is the second visit that the Jeonbuk State Office of Education has brought students to the CEEO. The goal of the visits is to have students spend time on several U.S. college campuses to gain a brief experience of what college is like in the United States.

Jeonbuk State Office officials chose the CEEO based on its reputation in engineering education outreach and research, and its experience with engineering design and LEGO robotics.

The day began with an introduction to engineering through the Wind Tube activity, led by Portsmore and supported by Elissa Milto, CEEO Director of Outreach, and Pascal Cyusa Shyaka, a Tufts engineering student and CEEO Outreach Learning Fellow. Using simple materials like paper, pipe cleaners, and tape, students designed objects to test in vertical wind tunnels. The activity served as a fun and engaging way to introduce engineering concepts such as iteration, design thinking, and the value of diverse solutions

Following the Wind Tube activity, students spent the rest of the day doing three LEGO robotics activities, including Silly Walks and a Puppet Show, all designed to reinforce creative problem-solving and coding skills. Despite language barriers, the students demonstrated adaptability and creativity in tackling each design challenge.

Throughout the day, the students not only practiced critical engineering thinking but also demonstrated collaborative learning that is part of CEEO’s approach to engineering education.

The CEEO looks forward to continuing this enriching collaboration with the Jeonbuk State Office of Education and inspiring the next generation of global engineers.