STEM Merit Badge College in Partnership with IEEE-HKN (UTA Engineering Honor Society), UT Arlington College of Engineering

Event Details

• Date: April 25
• Location: The University of Texas at Arlington
• Check-in: 8:00 AM
• Program Time: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
• Lunch: Scouts should bring their own lunch
• Cost: $100 per Scout

Join us for a one-of-a-kind STEM Merit Badge College hosted at The University of Texas at Arlington. This premium, hands-on experience is designed to go beyond a traditional merit badge class by giving Scouts the opportunity to learn in a real college environment, work alongside top engineering students, and explore future STEM pathways.

Participants will spend the day on the UTA campus engaging in immersive, hands-on learning led by members of IEEE-HKN, the international honor society recognizing top engineering students. Throughout the program, Scouts will gain exposure to college labs, real-world engineering concepts, and potential career paths in STEM fields.

Each Scout will choose one of the following merit badges (Select Your Merit Badge at Checkout, Limit 20 Scouts per Badge):

• Electronics
• Electricity
• Digital Technology
• Engineering
• Nuclear Science
• Programming
• Artificial Intelligence
• Robotics

Every program track includes a significant hands-on component, and Scouts will build and take home real technology and project materials related to their badge (See details below). These are not typical classroom activities. Participants will leave with meaningful projects such as robotics builds, computer setups, electronic devices, engineering kits, or scientific models that reinforce what they learned during the day.

The event also includes a morning session featuring industry professionals, corporate partners, and university representatives. Scouts will have the opportunity to learn about STEM careers, ask questions, and begin making connections that can inspire their future.

This is a limited-capacity event with only 20 Scouts per merit badge, ensuring a high-quality, small-group experience with plenty of individual instruction.

Space is limited and expected to fill quickly. Register today to secure your spot in this unique STEM experience.

Project Takeaways:

Nuclear Science

Scouts will leave the workshop with multiple projects they built themselves. Each participant will construct and keep a working electroscope as well as a 3d printed, custom-built atomic model representing a real isotope. Scouts will take part in an experiment simulating active radiation decay. In addition, scouts will receive themed items such as radiation reference cards and stickers depending on availability.

Electricity

Scouts will receive electrical tools and personal electronic kits. They will gain hands on experience with the equipment during the lab in the workshop on the day of the event as well as to take home for future endeavors.

Robotics

Scouts will be able to choose between a small number of tasks that their robot will be able to perform. Each task will have one or two designs associated with it that satisfy the task and the merit badge requirement. Scouts can pick one task and associated design they build based on availability. Scouts will be able to take home the robot that they build. Task one is an RC car that can explore a small area a human cannot observe, task two is a turret that tracks light, task three is a robot that can balance itself on two wheels, task four is a robotic arm, and task five is a car that can follow a line autonomously.

Digital Technology

Scouts will take home a Mini PC with Windows installed on it, alongside all needed peripherals like a keyboard, a mouse, and a monitor. This setup ensures that every participant has access to a consistent and reliable computing environment, allowing them to continue learning and practicing outside of scheduled sessions.

Engineering

Scouts will design and build a four-wheel drive robotic vehicle using basic mechanical and electrical components, including motors, power systems, and structural chassis. Throughout the workshop, they will be introduced to fundamental engineering concepts such as energy conversion, torque, power distribution, and system design. Each participant will take home their fully assembled vehicle, along with a reference sheet highlighting key engineering equations and concepts used during the build. This includes simple relationships for power, torque, and system performance to help reinforce how these ideas apply to real-world engineering problems. The goal is for Scouts to leave with both a working project and a clearer understanding of how everyday skills connect to practical engineering applications

Artificial Intelligence

As a tangible takeaway from the workshop, each Scout will be able to bring home their own Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense Rev2 microcontroller and a 6ft Micro-USB data cable. This hardware serves as a high-tech souvenir that allows participants to continue exploring the field of TinyML and artificial intelligence long after the event concludes. Additionally, students will keep their custom-printed participant workbooks, which contain the full glossary of 16 key AI terms, ethical guidelines, and the step-by-step lab instructions used during the session. 

Programming

Students in the programming merit badge will learn how to program and set up a development environment in three different coding languages, as well as explore the fundamentals of programming and control flow through practical examples. The students will receive a programmable microcontroller with Wi-Fi capabilities, as well as the knowledge and experience in programming, and all needed equipment to program the microcontroller. They will also receive all peripheral devices programmed in this workshop: Arduino Nano ESP32, LED array, passive buzzer, ultrasonic sensor.

Electronics

Students who complete the electronics merit badge shall be able to take home a 3d printed plane which encompasses the required electronics to make it fly. This fixed wing craft will have a custom PCB housing its circuit components, motor, and propeller. In addition to this, a separate charging battery bank will be provided to said students for portable charging of the plane. Essentially, the project will be the one that will be studied, tested, and created by the students. There will be an opportunity for the students to take an additional electronic device by which they might have to build themselves utilizing their acquired skills, such as basic FM/AM radio. This radio will be required to be soldered and assembled. It provides an opportunity for students to go above and beyond the scope of the session.