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The North Carolina A&T State University College of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the ASQ Central North Carolina section 1109 and student branch, hosts an annual Sci-Tech Week Conference. The conference welcomed over 100 high school students from local schools, engaging them through various activities, including career fairs, professional development sessions, and hands-on workshops.

The ASQ Student Branch members played a key role as tour guides and facilitators, leading students through Applied Engineering Technology labs and emphasizing the importance of teamwork and practical learning experiences. This underscores the significance of partnerships between ASQ sections and universities to promote STEM education and inspire high school students towards careers in quality engineering.

The conference featured a diverse lineup of activities, including career fairs, professional development sessions, and industry-led panel discussions The ASQ Student Branch’s involvement was especially prominent during Applied Engineering Technology (AET) Day on Wednesday and Young Scientists and Technologists Day on Friday.

A highlight was the “Principles of STEM” workshop. Dr. Ronald J. Wilkins, (Adjunct Professor of the Applied Engineering Technology Department) partnered with Melvin Alexander (Statistical Quality Engineer, and ASQ section leader) to lead the workshop.

This session introduced participants to Design of Experiments (DOE), demonstrating how variables such as mass and force influence the distance traveled by an object using a statistical catapult.

Dr. Wilkins also coordinated the efforts of the ASQ Student Branch members for this annual STEM workshop to lead guided tours of the AET labs for the visiting high-school students and share with them the knowledge they had gained from their classes on DOE and quality tools to expertly guide the students during the workshop. Organized into three groups, these tours provided students with opportunities to observe and actively engage in hands-on workshops. He emphasized that such experiences not only strengthen teamwork skills but also teach students how to transform conceptual ideas into functional prototypes.

Workshop topics spanned a broad range of disciplines, including manufacturing processes, CNC machining, 3D printing, metrology, autonomous vehicle technologies, design engineering, Lumens outreach initiatives, and introductory UX design concepts such as logo and web design.

Overall, Sci-Tech Week aimed to highlight the academic programs and experiential learning opportunities offered within the College of Science and Technology, with particular emphasis on the Applied Engineering Technology program at North Carolina A&T State University.

Acknowledgement: We are indebted to Don Brecken, Cindy Veenstra, and the ASQ Fellows Think Tank on Quality in Education for their help in preparing this article.