Evan Chen, Founder & Instructor of CYOC Engineering Summer Workshop
When I founded our Engineering Summer Workshop last year, we had 16 students and 3 instructors exploring 3D design, 3D printing, and Arduino. This summer, I was excited to see our program grow to two weeks with different engineering content, welcoming 16 students in Week 1 (June 22–26) and 20 students in Week 2 (August 10–14).
I’m proud to see how much our students have grown. During Week 1, we had 3 instructors and 4 Teaching Assistants (TAs), and three of our TAs were students in last year’s workshop!
It was really cool to see them come back a year later and help younger students with their designs and projects. They came to us as students and returned as young leaders giving back to our community.
Week 1 — From 3D Design to Robotics
We started Week 1 with 3D design using Onshape and 3D printing. Students then moved into Arduino electronics with LEDs, sensors, motors, and other components.
As the week continued, students took on a final project, building Arduino obstacle-detection robots that I designed last year. They connected motors, breadboards, Arduino boards, batteries, and ultrasonic sensors and worked together to troubleshoot their robots.
Robots don’t usually work immediately. Students learned to design, test, troubleshoot, improve, and try again, an important part of the engineering process.
We finished Week 1 with a Final Showcase, where students proudly shared their projects with their families.
Week 2 — Taking Engineering to the Next Level
Week 2 introduced different and more advanced engineering concepts. Students explored CAD, 3D printing, precision measurement, bearings, press fits, springs, gears, assemblies, gear ratios, and torque.
Students learned to use calipers and measure real bearings, then used those measurements to design and 3D print their own fidget spinners. They continued with hands-on projects involving gears, a ball launcher, gear simulation, and a propeller launcher.
I also shared a sim wheel that I designed and built over the summer. The project combines 3D design, motors, electronics, and coding. Students had the opportunity to try it themselves!
Learning from Our Guest Speakers
On our final day, we were delighted to welcome two special guest speakers.
Iris Ou, a rising sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, shared her experience studying engineering.
Mr. Yizhen Chen, who works in the IT field, shared his experience with 3D design.
I am very grateful that they took the time to share their experiences and help our students imagine where their interests in engineering and technology might take them in the future.
Celebrating Together
After a busy week of designing and building, we celebrated together with a pizza lunch, snacks, and popsicles. Students assembled and tested their propeller launchers and shared their projects and learning experiences with their families during our Final Showcase.
More Than Engineering
Looking back at these two weeks, I am proud not only of the projects our students completed, but also of how much they learned about creativity, teamwork, persistence, and helping one another. Seeing three of last year’s students, Alex Zhan, Brayden Ng, and Mason Zhou, return as Teaching Assistants made me very proud. Even though I haven’t have a vacation this summer because I was busy preparing for the workshop, seeing how much the students learned made me feel just as happy as if I were on the beach!
None of this would be possible without our community. A huge thank-you to our advisorsDrs. Ping Lu, Tao Chen and Mr. Yuxiang Xie for their help and advice; I am especially grateful to our instructors, Ruichen Feng and George Wang, for their dedication and tremendous contributions. They worked closely with students, patiently helping them solve problems and complete their projects, and also spent many hours working with me to 3D print and prepare components for the workshop. Their hard work and support were an important part of making this workshop a success. I am also very grateful to our Teaching Assistants Alex Zhan, Brayden Ng, Kevin Leand Mason Zhou, who worked closely with students one-on-one, helping them with their designs, projects, and troubleshooting. Both the instructors and teaching assistants also helped supervise and lead students during outdoor activities. Their patience, responsibility, and willingness to help made a wonderful difference throughout the program. I also appreciate parent volunteers, to name a few, Mrs. Shanyi Jiang, Chuanfeng Wu, Karen Hu, Crystal Luo and Mr. Shaojun Xie for their generous time and support throughout the workshop. I am also very grateful to our guest speakers, Iris Ou and Yizhen Chen, for generously sharing their experiences and knowledge with our students and inspiring them to explore their own futures in engineering and technology. Thank you as well to all of our families for their support, and especially to our amazing students for bringing their curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm to the workshop!
We are especially grateful to Jeanne and Potomac Presbyterian Church for providing us with a spacious classroom for our August workshop, especially when public school facilities were unavailable for rental. Their kindness and support made it possible for us to continue offering this program to our students.
I am incredibly proud of what everyone accomplished this summer, and I can’t wait to see where your creativity takes you next. We hope to see you again at future CYOC STEM and Engineering Workshops!
Website Editor: Grace Yan
华府青年 CYOC 
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