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

Event Details

• Date: February 20
• Location: The University of Texas at Arlington
• Check-in: 7:30 AM
• Morning Session: 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM
• College and Business showcase: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
• Afternoon Session: 1:00 PM to 4:30PM
• Lunch: TBD
• 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.

Scouts will have the opportunity to earn two merit badges during the event. The day is divided into a morning session and an afternoon session, with Scouts selecting one merit badge for each session during registration. Registration includes both merit badge classes.

The following four merit badges will be offered, with a maximum of 40 Scouts per merit badge:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Robotics
• Nuclear Science
• Electronics

Merit badge selections will be made during checkout on a first-come, first-served basis.

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

The event also includes a STEM opportunity session featuring industry professionals, corporate partners, university representatives, and engineering students. Scouts will have the opportunity to learn about STEM careers, ask questions, explore college pathways, and make connections that can inspire their future.

To ensure a high-quality experience with plenty of hands-on learning and individual instruction, enrollment is limited to 160 total Scouts, with 40 seats available in each merit badge track.

Space is limited and expected to fill quickly. Register today to reserve your place and experience a unique day of STEM exploration, career discovery, and advancement at UTA.

Project Takeaways:

Electronics

Students who complete the electronics merit badge shall be able to take home a foam 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. 

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.

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.

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.