EPIC 2025
When applying students may select more than one session/week (High School program only). However, students will only be admitted for one week.
2025 Engineering Topics
Students are placed in "tracks" consisting of 2-4 labs. We try our best to provide students with a schedule that best matches the fields of engineering they state they are interested in learning about on their EPIC application. See the corresponding session tab for a list of labs being offered.
Participating students will learn about the following fields of engineering throughout the week regardless of the track they enroll in through guest speakers, Cal Poly engineering student panel, the engineering major fair, and their engineering counselors.
| AERO | Aerospace Engineering |
| ARCE | Architectural Engineering |
| BMED | BioMedical Engineering |
| BRAE | BioResource and Agricultural Engineering |
| CE | Civil Engineering |
| CPE | Computer Engineering |
| CSC | Computer Science Engineering |
| EE | Electrical Engineering |
| ENVE | Environmental Engineering |
| GENE | General Engineering |
| IE | Industrial Engineering |
| MATE | Materials Engineering |
| ME | Mechanical Engineering |
| MNFG | Manufacturing Engineering |
| SW | Software Engineering |
Deadlines
January 2, 2025 - Online application opens
February 7, 2025 - Early admission application closes
March 27, 2025 - Early admission decision notifications go out. Online application closes.
April 11, 2025 - Early admission offer acceptance or decline
April 18, 2025 - Regular admission decision notifications go out
May 2, 2025 - Regular admission offer acceptance or decline
May 9, 2025 – Waitlist status notifications go out
May 16, 2025 All required material must be electronically signed and submitted
Who can apply
EPIC is open to all current 6th-11th graders. The program’s primary goals are to attract more female, first-generation, and low-income students to the field of engineering and inspire them to choose it as a career path. However, ALL students are welcome to apply regardless of background. Acceptance into EPIC is based on your essay and an indication (from your GPA, the classes you have taken, extracurricular activities, etc.) that you have applied yourself to your studies. The EPIC program does its best to determine which students will gain the most from the program.
How to apply
You can find information and steps on how to apply here.
Required Materials
Transcripts and letters of recommendation are NOT needed.
EPIC 2025 Dates
| Session | Dates | Grade Level | ||
| Session 1 | June 29-July 3 | 6th-8th | ||
| Session 2 | July 6-11 | 9th-11th | ||
| Session 3 | July 13-18 | 9th-11th | ||
| Session 4 | July 20-25 | 9th-11th |
Grades are based on Spring 2025 enrollment.
Highlights and Daily Schedule
| Residential Program Schedule | |
| 7:30-8:00am | Morning Gathering |
| 8:10-9:00am | Breakfast |
| 9:10-11:00am | Engineering Class |
| 11:10-12:00pm | Engineering Fields Presentations/Industry Guest Speakers |
| 12:10-1:00pm | Lunch Break |
| 1:10-3:00pm | Engineering Class |
| 3:10-5:00pm | Engineering Design Team Project |
| 5:10-5:30pm | Break |
| 5:30-6:30pm | Dinner |
| 6:30-8:30pm | Evening Activities |
| 8:30-9:00pm | Evening Gathering |
| 9:00-10:00pm | Free Time |
| 10:00-11:00pm | On Floor/In Room |
| 11:00 PM | Lights Out |
IMPORTANT: Please take an at-home COVID test before check-in on Sunday. We will be offering testing at check-in as well. Participants who are COVID positive will not be allowed to stay.
Session 1 June 29- July 3 6th-8th Grade (Residential)
| Lab Title | Lab Description | Majors |
| Eco Composite Materials Surfboard | Students will gain practical experience with the composite wet layup process through active participation in a project. Their task involves crafting a personalized surfboard design by shaping a foam block to match specific surfboard specifications. Following the shaping process, students will meticulously sand the foam to achieve the desired form before proceeding to mix and apply epoxy onto dry fibers. The wet fibers will then be carefully layered onto the surfboard. Subsequently, students will be introduced to the composite vacuum bag process. This entails placing the surfboards within a vacuum bag, which will extract all the air. Lastly, participants will engage in testing various types of composite box beams to determine their strength and weight characteristics, striving to identify the strongest and lightest options. |
AERO, ARCH, CE, IE, MNFG, MATE, ME |
| Design of Heavy Equipment (Cranes) |
|
AERO, ARCH, CE, IE, MNFG, ME |
| Fun with rockets! |
Let's get fired up about Aerospace Engineering. Learn how engineers design, build, and fly airplanes, rockets, and spaceships. Build your own model rocket, predict the altitude it will reach, and then launch it yourself to verify your prediction.
|
AERO, ME |
| 3D Printing |
3D printing is a fast-growing manufacturing technique and has already been adopted by various industries. Students will learn about the fundamental science of different 3D printing technologies. Students will participate in hands-on lab sessions to not only learn how to use software to design their structures but also use 3D printers to manufacture their designs to obtain tangible prototypes of their own. Mechanical tests on the printed structures will potentially be conducted to teach students about 3D printing quality control and material mechanical properties.
|
ARCE, BMED, CE, MNFG, MATE, ME |
| Cardiovascular System: Vessels and Disease |
Students will learn about cardiovascular disease and measure cardiovascular metrics. They will understand the importance of these metrics in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease which is the number one cause of death.
|
BMED |
| Shining a light on Solar Energy |
The sun is your best friend if you know how to use it!
|
BRAE, EE, ENVE, MATE, SE |
| Python Programming, Fun with Geomatics |
Measurement Science is applied to measuring the earth and its structures.
|
CE |
| Scribblers |
Students will be introduced to robotics using the Scribbler II robots. The first phase is to create a customized motion profile. The second phase is to navigate a robotic maze. The final phase is to create a coordinated team robot dance contest.
|
CSC, CPE |
| Snap Circuits |
Participants will learn about Electrical Engineering while having a hands-on introduction to electronics, and learn how to construct real working circuits, devices, and fiber optics.
|
CSC, CPE, EE, SW |
| Soap Films (Form/Observe/Measure) and High Speed Photography |
Students will get to measure just how thin a soap film can be (well below the diameter of a human hair), why there are observable colors, and why they retract so fast. We will use a high-speed camera to photograph bubbles popping along with a few other "everyday" things to see what happens in slow motion. Students will also get to tour the microfabrication laboratory on campus.
|
GENE, MNFG, ME |
| Wind Power | Design a wind turbine! Learn about how we can harness the power of the wind to do work. This source of sustainable energy has been used for centuries, but modern wind turbines are much more efficient. Students will build multiple iterations of a wind turbine that pumps water. They will explore how blade design, gear design, and wind speed affect how well they can move a fluid. | ME |
Session 2 July 6-11 9th-11th (Residential)
| Lab Title | Lab Description | Majors |
| Design of a Green City |
In this workshop, each group of students imagine they have a space area of 50 square km close to the sea or the ocean and they will use the suitable drawing scale to plan, sketch, and design an environmentally friendly city. Then using various clean energy resources provide the city with the required clean power for living in it. They will also use a method of water desalination to obtain fresh water. |
AERO, ARCH, CE, EE, ENVE, IE, ME |
| Fun with rockets! | Let's get fired up about Aerospace Engineering. Learn how engineers design, build, and fly airplanes, rockets, and spaceships. Build your own model rocket, predict the altitude it will reach, and then launch it yourself to verify your prediction. | AERO, ME |
| 3D Printing | 3D printing is a fast-growing manufacturing technique and has already been adopted by various industries. Students will learn about the fundamental science of different 3D printing technologies. Students will participate in hands-on lab sessions to not only learn how to use software to design their structures but also use 3D printers to manufacture their designs to obtain tangible prototypes of their own. Mechanical tests on the printed structures will be conducted to teach students about 3D printing quality control and material mechanical properties. | ARCH, BMED, CE, MNFG, MATE, ME |
| Cardiovascular System: Vessels and Disease | Students will learn about cardiovascular disease and measure cardiovascular metrics. They will understand the importance of these metrics in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease which is the number one cause of death. | BMED |
| Python Programming, Fun with Geomatics | Measurement Science is applied to measuring the earth and its structures. | BRAE, CE, CSC, EE |
| Shining a light on Solar Energy | The sun is your best friend if you know how to use it! How is energy captured from the sun? How sustainable are solar panels? These questions and many others will be answered, as students learn to align photovoltaic panels with the sun for optimal energy capture. Students will be instructed about basic circuits and determine the efficiency of solar energy capture in multiple forms. These hands-on activities will enhance critical thinking, collaborative, and creative thinking skills while exposing students to STEM concepts and renewable energy technologies. Instruction will culminate with the design and testing of solar thermal capture with solar ovens. |
BRAE, EE, ENVE, MATE, SW |
| Granite Construction Inc. | Coming soon! | CE |
| Arduino: Rube Goldberg Machine, Fun with Arduino Microcontroller | In this laboratory, we use the Arduino Microcontroller to build several projects. Project 1 is an LED driver array, Project 2 is a Radar System, Project 3 is a musical instrument, and Project 4 is the student's own creation. | CSC, CPE, EE, GE, ME, SW |
| Mechatronics Lab and Programing | This laboratory session aims to familiarize students with the fundamental operations of a microcontroller. Participants will work in groups to program and oversee a POL.E, a specially designed wheeled robot. The initial phase involves identifying the robot's components, ranging from the power switch to the pins and control board. Following this, students will learn how to set the POL.E in motion by composing BASIC command code. To facilitate understanding, a sample code will be executed, elucidating the function of each command. Subsequently, students will progress to writing their own straightforward programs for the POL.E. To add an engaging dimension, a course will be outlined on the floor for the robot to traverse. The challenge will be for each group to guide their POL.E through the designated course, showcasing their programming and control skills. |
CSC, CPE, ME |
| Supply Chain Explorers | Discover the exciting world of supply chains in "Supply Chain Explorers," a dynamic lab that offers an engaging introduction to supply chain management, revealing its crucial role in everyday life and global commerce. Participants will: 1. Learn key concepts in supply chain operations and management. 2. Engage in hands-on experiments and interactive games to solve real-world supply chain challenges using analytics. 3. Work in teams to develop solutions, fostering collaborative and analytical skills. |
IE |
| Wind Power | Design a wind turbine! Learn about how we can harness the power of the wind to do work. This source of sustainable energy has been used for centuries, but modern wind turbines are much more efficient. Students will build multiple iterations of a wind turbine that pumps water. They will explore how blade design, gear design, and wind speed affect how well they can move a fluid. | ME |
Session 3 July 13-18 9th-11th Grade (Residential)
| Lab Title | Lab Description | Majors |
| Engine Dissection and Reassembly | The objective of this laboratory session is to gain insights into the components of a four-stroke gasoline engine and understand how they collaborate to create a functional mechanism. The lab is structured in two phases: initial disassembly and parts identification, followed by reassembly with a focus on comprehending how the function of one part influences another. Key areas of exploration include the cylinder, connecting rods, crankshaft, valves, and associated components such as cams, lifters, and camshaft. Students will delve into the intricacies of engine operation, tracing the sequence of the four strokes—intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust. Upon completion, students are encouraged to contemplate the reasoning behind specific design choices, such as the shape of the cams, to delve deeper into the concept of the design process. |
AERO, CSC, CPE, GENE, ME, SW |
| Fun with rockets! | Let's get fired up about Aerospace Engineering. Learn how engineers design, build and fly airplanes, rockets, and spaceships. Build your own model rocket, predict the altitude it will reach, and then launch it yourself to verify your prediction. | AERO, ME |
| Fresh Water Percentage on Earth | In this workshop, students learn the different sources of water on Earth, how to measure the water density and salinity, and draw a chart for the percentage of fresh water to saline water on Earth. Students will learn about current inventions for seawater desalination and do activities that enrich and foster the understanding of the measuring units of water density and water salinity. They will also learn about engineering concepts and physics theories to help them brainstorm new ideas for the desalination of Ocean water. Students will complete a final project and display their new ideas for seawater desalination. | ARCH, BRAE, CE, EE, ENVE, GENE, IE, ME |
| Cardiovascular System: Vessels and Disease | Students will learn about cardiovascular disease and measure cardiovascular metrics. They will understand the importance of these metrics in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease which is the number one cause of death. | BMED |
| Python Programming, Fun with Geomatics | Measurement Science is applied to measuring the earth and its structures. | BRAE, CE, CSC, EE |
| Shining a light on Solar Energy | The sun is your best friend if you know how to use it! How is energy captured from the sun? How sustainable are solar panels? These questions and many others will be answered, as students learn to align photovoltaic panels with the sun for optimal energy capture. Students will be instructed about basic circuits and determine the efficiency of solar energy capture in multiple forms. These hands-on activities will enhance critical thinking, collaborative, and creative thinking skills while exposing students to STEM concepts and renewable energy technologies. Instruction will culminate with the design and testing of solar thermal capture with solar ovens. |
BRAE, EE, ENVE, MATE, SW |
| Detecting Microbial Pathogens Lab | This lab will use IDEXX water quality tests to determine the concentration of common pathogen indicator organisms (E. coli, Enterococcus) in water samples from streams/rivers/estuaries in SLO county. | CE, ENVE |
| Arduino: Rube Goldberg Machine, Fun with Arduino Microcontroller | In this laboratory, we use the Arduino Microcontroller to build several projects. Project 1 is an LED driver array, Project 2 is a Radar System, Project 3 is a musical instrument, and Project 4 is the student's creation. | CSC, CPE, EE, GE, ME, SW |
| Do more with less! | Process Matters! You'll complete a task three different ways and analyze which way is the "best"...does that mean fastest? least errors? most satisfied workers? | IE |
| Supply Chain Explorers | Discover the exciting world of supply chains in "Supply Chain Explorers," a dynamic lab that offers an engaging introduction to supply chain management, revealing its crucial role in everyday life and global commerce. Participants will: 1. Learn key concepts in supply chain operations and management. 2. Engage in hands-on experiments and interactive games to solve real-world supply chain challenges using analytics. 3. Work in teams to develop solutions, fostering collaborative and analytical skills. |
IE |
Session 4 July 20-25 9th-11th Grade (Residential)
| Lab Title | Lab Description | Majors |
| Activities to Understand and Feel the Measuring Units | Understanding and Sensing measuring units have an important role in developing engineering equipment and creating inventions. Thus, during the first meeting of this workshop, students will be divided into groups and the instructor will assign activities that enrich and foster the sense skill and understanding of the measuring units such as Newton, Joule, Watt, Horsepower (HP), in addition to the measuring units of Length, Mass, and Density. During the second meeting, students will learn physics concepts that help them guess the values of some physics quantities such as Length, Area, Volume, Density, Force, Power, etc. without using measuring tools. They will also learn about the difference between Area Moment of Inertia and the Mass Moment of Inertia and how to calculate the maximum power of the machine. Also during the second meeting, the instructor will determine the hand force for every student by using a rubber tube spring and do competitions among students to enrich the understanding and sensing of the measuring units of Force and Power. |
AERO, ARCH, BMED, BRAE, CE, CSC, CPE, EE, ENVE, GENE, IE, MNFG, MATE, ME |
| Fun with rockets! | Let's get fired up about Aerospace Engineering. Learn how engineers design, build and fly airplanes, rockets, and spaceships. Build your own model rocket, predict the altitude it will reach and then launch it yourself to verify your prediction. | AERO, ME |
| Glider Workshop and Composite Material Testing | In this workshop each student will have the opportunity to design, build and test their very own glider. Under the supervision and guidance of EPIC counselors, students will be introduced to aerospace fundamentals of stability, control, structures and aerodynamics and how these fundamentals pertain to glider manufacturing and design. Students will have the chance to plan and build their own gliders via composites and various other materials available to them. The goal of the glider workshop is to expose students to Cal Poly’s ‘learn by doing’ environment and to promote a fun and exciting learning environment via a hands on aerospace engineering project. |
AERO, MNGE, MATE, ME |
| Cardiovascular System: Vessels and Disease | Students will learn about cardiovascular disease and measure cardiovascular metrics. They will understand the importance of these metrics in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease which is the number one cause of death. | BMED |
| Python Programming, Fun with Geomatics | Measurement Science applied to measuring the earth and its structures. | BRAE, CE, CSC, EE |
| Shining a light on Solar Energy | The sun is your best friend if you know how to use it! How is energy captured from the sun? How sustainable are solar panels? These questions and many others will be answered, as students learn to align photovoltaic panels with the sun for optimal energy capture. Students will be instructed about basic circuits and determine the efficiency of solar energy capture in multiple forms. These hands-on activities will enhance critical thinking, collaborative, and creative thinking skills while exposing students to STEM concepts and renewable energy technologies. Instruction will culminate with the design and testing of solar thermal capture with solar ovens. |
BRAE, EE, ENVE, MATE, SW |
| Granite Construction Inc. | Coming soon! | CE |
| Detecting Microbial Pathogens in Water | This lab will use IDEXX water quality tests to determine the concentration of common pathogen indicator organisms (E. coli, Enterococcus) in water samples from streams/rivers/estuaries in SLO county. | CE, ENVE |
| Smart Grids and Renewable Energy | Students will program an Arduino to control power flow in a smart grid. They will learn about renewable energy, power electronics, and programming in a hands-on environment. The lab will culminate in a design challenge in which students must design a controller to extract maximum power from a solar panel connected to a microgrid. | CPE, EE |
| Arduino: Rube Goldberg Machine, Fun with Arduino Microcontroller | In this laboratory, we use the Arduino Microcontroller to build several projects. Project 1 is an LED driver array, Project 2 is a Radar System, Project 3 is a musical instrument, and Project 4 is the student's own creation. | CSC, CPE, EE, GE, ME, SW |
| Do more with less! | Process Matters! You'll complete a task three different ways and analyze which way is the "best"...does that mean fastest? least errors? most satisfied workers? | IE |
| Supply Chain Explorers | Discover the exciting world of supply chains in "Supply Chain Explorers," a dynamic lab that offers an engaging introduction to supply chain management, revealing its crucial role in everyday life and global commerce. Participants will: 1. Learn key concepts in supply chain operations and management. 2. Engage in hands-on experiments and interactive games to solve real-world supply chain challenges using analytics. 3. Work in teams to develop solutions, fostering collaborative and analytical skills. |
IE |
