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Summer STEM 2023 Courses

The Cooper Union Summer STEM Program offers introductory and advanced design and engineering classes for current freshman, sophomore and junior high school students.  Classes meet Monday-Thursday at the Albert Nerken School of Engineering located at 41 Cooper Square. 

Class themes change each year.  These classes were offered in summer 2023. To be notified when the summer 2024 classes are announced, complete the STEM Outreach Interest Form.

Redesigning Plastics Recycling (3 weeks, 9th and 10th graders)
The growth of 3D printing results in plastic waste that is presenting a challenge for consumers and the plastics industry. Contribute to the development of practical and sustainable ways to recycle waste from the 3D printing industry.

Environment Friendly Plastic Design (3 weeks, 9th and 10th graders)
Biodegradable plastics or polymers are one way that researchers are working to reduce waste and pollution. Explore the plastic lifecycle and engineering work underway to develop alternatives.

Digital Electronics for the Inventor  (3 weeks, 10th and 11th graders)
Learn to design, build, test, and demonstrate an electronics project from scratch.

Data for New York (6 weeks, 10th and 11th graders)
Critical infrastructure systems impact our daily lives, from the time we brush our teeth in the morning until we switch off all the lights at night. We often interact with these systems without giving them much thought.

Robotics Crash Course (6 weeks, 10th and 11th graders)
This is an introductory course to understanding the fundamentals of how mobile robotic systems function. 

Prototyping and Design for Extended Reality  (6 weeks, 10th and 11th graders)
How do emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality meet digital fabrication tools like 3D printers? How can these tools be used to create immersive educational or entertainment experiences?

Racecar Research (6 weeks, 10th and 11th graders)
Students explore electric engines, aerodynamics, microcontroller, heat exchangers, sensors, suspensions, steering, and braking systems, etc. as they relate to the design and manufacturing of a collegiate-level Formula Race Car.

Design and Drawing for Engineering (6 weeks, 10th and 11th graders) 
Inspired by classes that every Cooper Union engineering student takes in their freshman year, students develop design practices and problem-solving skills by examining the needs of their community. 

Mycomaterials (6 weeks, 10th and 11th graders)
Students explore designing and growing mycelium (mushrooms) to develop high-performance and environment friendly building materials. 

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.