Self-made Engineering Leaders of the Future (SELF) for High School Students
Self-made Engineers of the Future (SELF) June 25-28, 2023 Application
SELF Activities Slides
Connecting young rural girls to STEM careers through research, mentoring and community service in forest bio-products
The SELF Institute is a residential program for Maine’s rural high school students. The three-and-a- half day program will focus on the responsible use of forest ecosystems as a building block for sustainable and renewable energy. Students will explore cutting-edge forest bioproducts research at the University of Maine by participating in demonstrations, hands-on projects and field trips. Participants will also have recreational activities at the New Balance Student Recreation Center.
This program started as a partnership between College of Engineering, Forest Bioproducts Research Institute, and University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA. Currently SELF is funded by the College of Engineering and Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (FBRI).
Institute activities include
- Demonstrations of physical principles and properties of wood and wood products
- Visiting University Forest to learn about harvest methods and systems, logging equipment and costs
- Observation and work on chemical and physical processes in the making of transportation fuels (ethanol, jet fuel) from woody biomass and estimate the cost of manufacturing
- Analysis of sustainability attitudes
- Focus group on renewable energy in Maine
To qualify for the institute applicants must
- Be a high school student, preferably a sophomore from Maine
- Have an interest in science and technology
- Submit a report card
- Submit an essay on why she wants to participate in the institute
- Have at least one letter of recommendation
For more information contact:
Phone: 207.581.2225