Engineering Summer Academy
The Engineering Summer Academy (ESA) is a one-week residential experience for current 9th-11th grade students who are ready to dive deeper into the world of engineering. Participants select a specialized track and spend the week exploring big interdisciplinary ideas through hands-on projects, lab-based experiments, and real-world problem solving alongside University of Arkansas engineering faculty and current students. Whether examining chemical reactions, studying living systems, designing advanced technologies, or building structural solutions, ESA students experience what it’s like to be an engineer—engaging in cutting-edge discovery, learning modern tools and techniques, and building both confidence and curiosity as they imagine their future in STEM. Space is limited.
Eligibility and Application
Students entering the 10th through 12th grade during the 2026-2027 academic year are eligible to apply.
Camp Dates and Times
June 21-June 27, 2026
This is a residential camp. Students will participate in both daytime and evening activities while residing in a University of Arkansas residence hall.
Cost
The camp costs $700 for the entire week. This program fee includes tuition, room and board, lab fees, course materials, recreational program costs, evening entertainment, and field trips. Program fee is due upon registration to the program. Scholarships are available thanks to the generosity of a number of sponsors.
Upon acceptance to the camp, more detailed information will be provided. Please call us at 479-575-5657 or engrcamp@uark.edu with any additional questions.
Click on our available interdisciplinary tracks below for more detailed information:
Maximum of 20 Students
Students will explore the broad field of Chemical Engineering through a variety of applied experiences that develop their engineering design skills. Chemical engineers are actively involved in addressing many current challenges of global significance including food production and processing, sustainability, alternative energy, novel medical treatments, clean water, polymers, and biodegradable materials. Students will learn about an assortment of these topics through hands-on activities.
Maximum of 20 Students
This track introduces students to the cutting-edge engineering techniques used to study living cells, tissues, and organs. Campers will learn how biomedical and biological engineers design tools to observe how living systems respond to mechanical forces, drugs, and stimuli and why these insights matter for developing new treatments, medical devices, and diagnostics. Through interactive lab experiences, students will see firsthand how engineering and biology intersect to advance human and environmental health.
Register NOW!Maximum of 20 Students
Students in this track discover how engineers design efficient, intelligent, and adaptable systems that shape modern technology. Through hands-on activities grounded in industrial, electrical, computer, and data science engineering, campers explore topics such as automation, energy systems, optimization, sensing, and digital logic. While working with faculty and student mentors, participants learn how engineers build non-living systems that improve productivity, sustainability, and everyday life, from manufacturing and robotics to smart devices and computational tools.
rEGISTER now!Maximum of 20 Students
This track immerses students in civil and mechanical engineering as they design, build, and test structures and mechanical systems used in the real world. Campers will take on hands-on challenges such as constructing model bridges, experimenting with materials and load-bearing systems, and creating prototypes using 3D printing. By blending creativity with problem-solving, students gain insight into how engineers shape the built environment and keep communities safe, efficient, and resilient.
Register Now!