Summer Programs Catapult Over 400 Students to Campus
Tuesday, August 05, 2025
High school students have explored Rose-Hulman’s campus and STEM fields through several summer programs.
Though many Rose-Hulman students are completing research, internships, or study abroad during the summer months, campus is far from quiet. The hot summer breezes have been punctuated by the sounds of hundreds of high school students living and learning during a Rose-Hulman summer program. In total, 471 students from 32 states and 9 countries participated in programs including Operation Catapult, Project SELECT, Rose Power, and Creation Crates.
"Students who attend one of our residential summer camps get to engage in labs, experiments, and design challenges that go beyond anything they've done in a high school classroom," said Rene Hankins, pre-college outreach director. "They are working with our professional STEM faculty and students to help them explore various career paths and help them build their confidence as a student in STEM."
Throughout three 10-day sessions, Operation Catapult welcomed 337 rising high school seniors to learn from Rose-Hulman faculty about engineering principles and design. This year's projects included trebuchet construction, balsa wood truss analysis, and vehicles that enable students to "walk" on the water of Speed Lake.
During Project SELECT's two weeklong sessions, 77 rising high school sophomores and juniors rotated through projects with several faculty from a variety of academic departments. Students measured the strength of biodegradable polymers, manufactured solar cells, and tested air quality with sensors of their own design.
Two weeklong sessions of Rose Power introduced 22 high school sophomores to building and engineering. Under faculty supervision, the students learned machine shop safety and procedures to craft their own unique pieces.
Students were also able to develop their engineering skills closer to home through Creation Crates. Across the country, 17 rising high school juniors and seniors received kits of materials delivered to their doorsteps. Working virtually with Rose-Hulman faculty, these students designed, built, and tested experiments from the comfort of their homes.
A group of 16 high school students earned academic credit alongside current Rose-Hulman students through the Rose Accelerate program. Course offerings included chemistry, introduction to film studies, rhetoric & composition, and introduction to software development.
Incoming first-year Rose-Hulman students are also utilizing the summer to get a jumpstart on the academic year through Rose Prime and Rose-Hulman Accelerated Math & Physics (RHAMP). The Rose Prime program is a summer bridge program designed to provide a foundation for success in mathematics courses at Rose-Hulman. Rose-Hulman Accelerated Math & Physics (RHAMP) is a five-week intensive program for students to take calculus III and physics I and II and earn course credits before the start of the academic year.
Participants in these programs enjoy unique opportunities to engage with Rose-Hulman faculty, students, and facilities, including fun evening adventures around campus and in Speed Lake, while building their skillsets to succeed in college and beyond. Typically, about 30% of students who attend a Rose-Hulman summer camp apply to Rose for undergraduate admission.
"The summer programs are part of pre-college engagement that help foster a relationship with future students," said Hankins.
"Students who attend one of our residential summer camps get to engage in labs, experiments, and design challenges that go beyond anything they've done in a high school classroom," said Rene Hankins, pre-college outreach director. "They are working with our professional STEM faculty and students to help them explore various career paths and help them build their confidence as a student in STEM."
Throughout three 10-day sessions, Operation Catapult welcomed 337 rising high school seniors to learn from Rose-Hulman faculty about engineering principles and design. This year's projects included trebuchet construction, balsa wood truss analysis, and vehicles that enable students to "walk" on the water of Speed Lake.
During Project SELECT's two weeklong sessions, 77 rising high school sophomores and juniors rotated through projects with several faculty from a variety of academic departments. Students measured the strength of biodegradable polymers, manufactured solar cells, and tested air quality with sensors of their own design.
Two weeklong sessions of Rose Power introduced 22 high school sophomores to building and engineering. Under faculty supervision, the students learned machine shop safety and procedures to craft their own unique pieces.
Students were also able to develop their engineering skills closer to home through Creation Crates. Across the country, 17 rising high school juniors and seniors received kits of materials delivered to their doorsteps. Working virtually with Rose-Hulman faculty, these students designed, built, and tested experiments from the comfort of their homes.
A group of 16 high school students earned academic credit alongside current Rose-Hulman students through the Rose Accelerate program. Course offerings included chemistry, introduction to film studies, rhetoric & composition, and introduction to software development.
Incoming first-year Rose-Hulman students are also utilizing the summer to get a jumpstart on the academic year through Rose Prime and Rose-Hulman Accelerated Math & Physics (RHAMP). The Rose Prime program is a summer bridge program designed to provide a foundation for success in mathematics courses at Rose-Hulman. Rose-Hulman Accelerated Math & Physics (RHAMP) is a five-week intensive program for students to take calculus III and physics I and II and earn course credits before the start of the academic year.
Participants in these programs enjoy unique opportunities to engage with Rose-Hulman faculty, students, and facilities, including fun evening adventures around campus and in Speed Lake, while building their skillsets to succeed in college and beyond. Typically, about 30% of students who attend a Rose-Hulman summer camp apply to Rose for undergraduate admission.
"The summer programs are part of pre-college engagement that help foster a relationship with future students," said Hankins.