15 Year Book - Flipbook - Page 212
MICHIGAN ENGINEERING ZONE
The Michigan Engineering Zone (MEZ) was founded in 2010 when two U-M Alumni who worked
for Ford Motor Company reached out to the College of Engineering for help supporting FIRST
Robotics in Detroit. Michigan Engineering leadership secured resources to establish a
makerspace near the U-M Detroit Center and supported 13 local high school robotics teams
during that inaugural year. With a commitment of transportation from Detroit Public Schools
and the support of many volunteers, the MEZ flourished. Today, the MEZ supports over 20
Detroit-area FIRST Robotics teams and has since added two additional outreach programs: the
Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab and NAF Future Ready Scholars. The MEZ community has grown to
include thousands of middle and high school students, K-12 teachers, college mentors and
volunteer professional mentors.
MEZ is Founded
Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab Starts
MEZ is founded to support FIRST Robotics, an international
STEM competition and extracurricular activity that builds
skills in engineering, technology, teamwork, and problem
solving in the city of Detroit. The MEZ supports 13 high
school robotics teams the first year.
2010
2016
MEZ Continues To Grow
The MEZ space reaches its capacity at 20 teams. Community
and corporate partners (including Detroit Public Schools, Ford
Motor Company, and Google) help the MEZ provide wraparound support, including healthy meals and bus transportation.
2017
Through an ongoing partnership with Qualcomm
Inc., the MEZ begins hosting middle school students
for field trips. Participating students from Southeast
Michigan explore STEM careers that match their
unique skills, interests, and values and prototype
their own inventions using Arduino microcontrollers.
