Packaging Equipment Manufacturer Develops Programming for Engineering and Manufacturing Camp for Local Nonprofit
Young STEAM-driven female students in Chicago’s Southland gave up a prized summer day to join the women of Morrison Container Handling Solutions for an afternoon of learning about how things are made and how to innovate their biggest ideas.
Our team hosted Homewood Science Center’s Girls STEAM Ahead Success Club 2023 cohort for an Engineering and Manufacturing Camp this July. Along with assistance from the PMMI Foundation, we developed curriculum to educate the club on careers in STEAM while also touring a manufacturing facility and trying their hand at creating inventions of their own.
The 14 students began the day unpacking how the world of packaging impacts their daily lives followed by various activities designed to help them understand the design and engineering process.
They built dinosaurs to assembly print, which were designed out of the same color core that we design our change parts.
After learning the importance of following the prints, it was their turn to invent their own designs, and the girls broke into teams to draw prints of rollercoasters of their wildest dreams. The students were tasked with looking at the materials available to them to create thoughtful designs that could actually be built. They were encouraged to understand the big picture and what would make their coaster unique and want to be ridden.
Putting this through the motions, they built their designs and presented them to the group, selling what made their projects more inviting than others on the market. By the end of the day, you could see their understanding of the engineering, manufacturing, and sales process start to take shape through their excitement and innovative ideas.
Our team closed out the day with a Q&A with the women from various departments of our team. This helped the students see all areas of STEAM and how they impact a business.
Morrison is incredibly proud to support initiatives like this, helping students see possibilities in the world of STEAM, manufacturing, and packaging. To learn more about our dedication to education, visit here.
Girls STEAM Ahead Success Club is open to 6th through 12th grade students in Chicago’s Southland community. The program is aimed at helping girls discover opportunities in STEAM and see themselves in careers that are traditionally male dominated. To learn more about the club, visit here. The club is operated by the local nonprofit Homewood Science Center whose mission is to inspire scientific wonder, learning, and pursuit.
