Engineering Classes in Pittsburgh, PA

For returning SeaPerchers only! Over the course of this hands-on program, you'll expand on your ROV build and design. You will test your underwater robot, while exploring the fascinating intersections of engineering, physics, and teamwork. Whether you’re a budding engineer or just curious about how things work, SeaPerch offers an exciting, immersive experience that takes STEM learning to new depths. Don’t miss the chance to make waves and discover what’s beneath the surface! For participants in 6th- 12th grade!

This program is a deep dive into the life of vacant land in the Hill District of Pittsburgh: its past, present, and future. Using neighborhood observation, engagement, sampling, and lab science, participants will build an understanding of life present on vacant land – from microorganisms to environmental phenomena. Through research and interpretation, a more profound understanding of living urban land will emerge. As part of the program, participants will synthesize their learning into recommendations for vacant land use, becoming contributors to a long-term beautification process and receiving personalized mentorship along the way. Join Grounded Strategies and The Citizen Science Lab to become a vacant land investigator! Scientists will receive a stipend for their participation!

Over the course of this hands-on program, you'll build, design, and test your very own underwater robot, exploring the fascinating intersections of engineering, physics, and teamwork. Whether you’re a budding engineer or just curious about how things work, SeaPerch offers an exciting, immersive experience that takes STEM learning to new depths. Don’t miss the chance to make waves and discover what’s beneath the surface! For participants in 5th- 12th grade at our partner schools!

Perfect for your young scientist, this program introduces fun, hands-on activities that make science easy and exciting to understand. Tailored just for kids, Mini Lab sparks curiosity while helping them discover the wonders of science in an engaging, playful environment.

In “What’s in our air?” students will build and use devices to understand the composition of the air we breathe. In this year-long experience, participants will develop practical engineering, computer programming, and teamwork skills while gaining improved understanding of our environment and how it is changing. We aim to build a low-cost air quality monitor, communicate with it via custom Python computer code, and use it to monitor the air near Pittsburgh. We also aim to plan and perform a weather balloon launch, and examine the data the balloon collects. We will compare our measurements of today’s air with historical extreme pollution in the Pittsburgh region, and with fully pristine natural conditions. A stipend will be awarded to participants at the conclusion of the program!