SHAPE Up: Now with Campus Living

Since 2017, the Summer High School Academic Program for Engineers (SHAPE) has provided high school students with the invaluable opportunity to take college-level, project-based classes taught by Columbia Engineering faculty. As they enter their eighth year running the program, Columbia Engineering Outreach Programs have begun offering residential housing to select participating students, giving them an opportunity to be fully immersed in the college experience.

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Of the 480 high schoolers admitted this summer, 100 students from around the U.S. – including students from local New York City schools – will have the opportunity to reside in Furnald Hall for the duration of the session. In addition to attending classes throughout the day, residential students will enjoy additional programming, including movie nights, scavenger hunts, and campus club activities, designed to build community and enrich their SHAPE experience.

"Some of my most formative moments as a high school student came from the pre-college experiences I had during the summers I spent away from home,” said Kristian Breton, executive director of Outreach and Community Engagement at the Engineering School. “We are excited to provide students with this opportunity to experience Columbia Engineering and life in a dorm this summer."

A world-class, college-level experience

At its core, SHAPE aims to provide college-level engineering education to high school students. Hands-on courses like Robotics and Autonomous Driving task students in building an autonomous car, and learning the principles of 3D modeling and sensor technology. The course Sustainable Engineering: Designing a Better Planet gives students an overview of sustainable development, challenging them to design and present a research poster about current technology and how it can be applied to solving issues in green infrastructure.

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Students additionally receive workshops in college preparation and professional development, and guidance from current Engineering students who serve as Summer Student Leaders (SSLs) for SHAPE. Students not only gain a strong foundation in engineering but also personalized guidance from a world-class institution. 

“SHAPE is all about finding bright and curious students, providing them the opportunity to channel their curiosity into projects of their choosing with the guidance of professors and people like me, college students,” said SSL Austin Lara, a rising Columbia senior studying mechanical engineering. Now in his third summer working with SHAPE, Lara is serving as part of the first cohort of resident advisors, mentoring the on-campus high school students. 

“When students are free to satisfy their intellectual curiosity, learning becomes fun,” he added. “And when students have the guidance to hone their questions and the equipment necessary to answer them, learning becomes satisfying.” 

Lead Photo Caption: Students from the course, Robotics and Autonomous Driving, working on their project.
Lead Photo Credit: Barbara Alper