By Ruichen Feng (CYOC Summer Engineering Workshop Co-Founder & Instructor)
This summer marked my second year serving as an instructor for the CYOC Summer Engineering Workshop. I had the privilege of working alongside the workshop’s founder, Evan Chen, and instructor George Wang. As co-founder of the workshop, my goal, together with our teaching team, was to provide meaningful STEM enrichment opportunities for elementary to middle school students while inspiring them to explore future pathways in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This year, we welcomed 16 middle school and rising middle school students, most of whom had little or no prior experience with engineering, computer-aided design (CAD), electronics, or programming.
Our five-day workshop introduced students to engineering through a progression of increasingly challenging hands-on projects. My primary responsibility was teaching Onshape, a professional cloud-based CAD platform widely used in engineering and product design. I also introduced students to the engineering design process, helping them build a strong foundation before transitioning to Arduino programming and robotics.
On the first day, I guided students through designing a personalized name tag, a cup, and a bell in Onshape. For many, it was their first experience with CAD software. Watching them transform simple sketches into three-dimensional models reminded me that confidence is often built through small, early successes. As the week progressed, students moved from CAD into electronics and programming. Evan and George introduced Arduino fundamentals, while together we helped students build circuits, program blinking LEDs, and explore components such as potentiometers, buzzers, ultrasonic sensors, and servo motors. By midweek, something even more meaningful began to happen: students naturally started helping one another debug code, troubleshoot wiring, and share ideas. Their growing willingness to collaborate demonstrated that they were developing not only technical skills but also confidence and teamwork.
The highlight of the workshop was constructing an obstacle-detection robot. Students integrated motors, sensors, Arduino boards, and power systems while learning to troubleshoot both hardware and software. Although some teams progressed faster than others, every group overcame setbacks through persistence and problem-solving. This experience reinforced one of the most valuable lessons I learned as an instructor: successful teaching is not measured by whether every student finishes at the same pace, but by whether they remain engaged, continue asking questions, and become confident enough to solve problems independently.
On the final day, students refined their robots, tested their designs, and proudly presented their projects during our end-of-workshop showcase. Seeing students confidently demonstrate robots they had built from scratch in just one week was incredibly rewarding. Not every robot worked perfectly, but every student stood proudly beside their project and shared what they had learned. That moment reminded me that engineering is not about avoiding failure; it is about learning through experimentation, perseverance, and continuous improvement. We concluded the workshop with a pizza party, celebrating their hard work, teamwork, and accomplishments.
This year’s workshop was especially meaningful because I recently became an Onshape Certified Associate. Earning this certification strengthened both my technical knowledge and my confidence as an instructor. Rather than simply teaching students which buttons to click, I was able to explain the engineering principles behind effective design and encourage them to think critically like engineers. Preparing lessons, answering unexpected questions, and adapting explanations for students with different learning styles challenged me to become a clearer communicator and a more thoughtful teacher.
Looking back, I realized that teaching is fundamentally about empowering others. Every student learns differently, and progress is rarely linear. My role was not to provide every answer but to create an environment where students felt comfortable experimenting, making mistakes, and learning from them. Watching hesitant beginners become confident builders over the course of five days was one of the most fulfilling experiences I have had.
This workshop would not have been possible without the dedication of our four outstanding CYOC student volunteers—Alex Zhan, Kevin Le, Brayden Ng, and Mason Zhou. Their patience, enthusiasm, and willingness to mentor younger students allowed us to provide individualized support while fostering a welcoming and collaborative classroom environment. I am equally grateful to our adult advisors, whose encouragement and behind-the-scenes logistical support allowed our teaching team to focus on delivering meaningful educational experiences.
I am also deeply thankful to CYOC for creating opportunities for young people to lead and serve their communities. Through programs like this workshop, CYOC empowers youth not only to learn STEM but also to design educational programs, organize teaching teams, and mentor younger students. This model creates a cycle of leadership in which students become teachers, teachers become mentors, and each generation inspires the next.
Most importantly, I hope this workshop helped our students see engineering as something they are capable of pursuing. Whether they continue exploring CAD, robotics, programming, or another STEM field, I hope they leave with greater confidence, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace new challenges.
The mission of the CYOC Summer Engineering Workshop is to provide meaningful STEM enrichment while inspiring future STEM leaders. After five days of learning, building, collaborating, and celebrating, I believe we made meaningful progress toward that mission. As for me, the workshop strengthened not only my engineering knowledge but also my leadership, communication, and commitment to education. Watching students grow from complete beginners into confident creators was the most rewarding part of the experience, and it reaffirmed my desire to continue using engineering and education to make a positive impact on others.
Website Editor: Grace Yan
华府青年 CYOC 
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