Introduction
High school students are invited to apply for an intensive summer camp on Artificial Intelligence and Wireless Communications offered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). This program is aimed at creative minds with experience in many areas (not just STEM). It will help participants prepare for careers in science and engineering as well as others (like finance and medicine) whose traditional methods have been disrupted by the emergence of wireless AI technologies.
The program will be run by faculty from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at TCNJ within the Armstrong/STEM engineering laboratories. Specifically, two faculty members will provide a bulk of the lectures:
All participants will be housed within the same residential dorms as undergraduate students, giving them a safe, supervised, and appropriate taste of college-life. Chaperones will be present during activities as well as in the dorms 24 hours a day.
Camp Topics and Activities
What Is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is like the brainpower behind smart machines that can think, learn, and make decisions on their own. It’s the technology that enables computers to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as understanding language, recognizing patterns, and solving problems. Imagine your smartphone predicting the next word you’ll type or a robot playing chess and getting better with each game – that’s AI in action! AI is divided into two types: narrow or weak AI, which is designed for specific tasks, like virtual assistants, and general or strong AI, which can handle various intellectual tasks much like a human. As technology advances, AI continues to shape our daily lives, from personalized recommendations on streaming platforms to the potential for solving complex global challenges. It’s an exciting field that combines computer science, mathematics, and creativity to make machines not just powerful tools, but intelligent ones too!
What Is Wireless Technology?
Wireless technology is the invisible magic that connects our devices without the need for physical wires. It’s like the wizardry that allows your smartphone to communicate with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or mobile networks, letting you share messages, pictures, and videos effortlessly. Think of it as the secret language that enables devices to chat with each other through the airwaves. Whether you’re streaming music through wireless headphones, sharing memes with friends over Wi-Fi, or connecting your gaming console to the internet without any cords, wireless tech makes it all possible. So, the next time you send a text, make a call, or play an online game without plugging in a single cable, remember that it’s the enchantment of wireless technology making the connection happen!
Camp participants will be introduced through a residential College academic experience to the exciting field of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and will learn topics not traditionally taught in High Schools such as Microcontroller Programming, Sensing Systems, Digital Electronics, Wireless Communications, Computer Vision, and more.
Learning Objectives
Specifically, participants will learn about:
- Neural Network and Machine Learning Theory – How does one understand the mathematical theory behind the most fundamental artificially intelligent structures? Students will develop a handwriting recognition algorithm from scratch.
- Using Tools like Google Vision – How does one employ commercially available tools like Google Vision to implement interesting and innovative AI projects, like adaptive image recognition? Students will work in teams of 2-3 with their own Google Vision or Raspberry Pi-based AI kits.
- TensorFlow and PyTorch – How do programming languages (or libraries) targeted to machine learning differ from more traditional options (e.g. C++). Students will learn about the basics of tensors and how tools like TensorFlow facilitate working with those structures.
- Wireless Technology- How does Wireless Transceiver works and how it can be used for various applications like communication or home automation system. Student will learn about wireless transmission at 2.4 GHz using NRFL2401 or similar wireless transceiver .
- Wireless Sensing System- Student will learn about the components of wireless sensing system. Students will build a wireless sensor ( Temperature/ humidity sensor) or home automation system using arduino and wireless transceiver.
- System Based Activity- In this system based activity, student will have fun and learning with integrated system based module/device.
A Typical Day at Camp
Between 9am and 5pm, TCNJ ECE faculty will provide multiple short (15-20 min) lectures on topics like supervised machine learning. Between these mini-lectures, participants will be given hands-on tasks (e.g. implementing concept in Python software) that allow them to use the material they most recently learned. The goal is to make learning fun and productive. Because of the program’s structure and limited size, faculty have the opportunity to teach material and then directly help students as they attempt to practically use it. Several external guest lecturers will also provide their expertise.
Each evening, chaperones will plan a safe and appropriate social activity to follow their group-dinner. Examples include video game tournaments, interesting science-related movies, or board-game nights. The faculty also have a few social-related surprises in store.
Who Should Apply?
This program is open to all high-school students with an interest in science, math, engineering, artificial intelligence, or wireless communications (not necessarily all of those).
Location and Costs
The program will be held at the beautiful campus of The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ. Participants stay in TCNJ air-conditioned residence dorm and are chaperoned by electrical/computer engineering students.
Total Cost: $2000 plus a non-refundable $40 application fee.
This cost includes all tuition, room and board (including meals), social and entertainment expenses, as well as hardware and laboratory kits required for the camp. Each student will be given an engineering experimentation kit with value of $100/person for later home-use. Camp participants must provide their own transportation to and from Ewing, New Jersey. Limited number of seats are available for this program. Interested students should submit the online application as early as possible using this link.
Important Dates
2024 Program Dates: July 28 – August 2, 2024
All applications, transcripts, and recommendation letters must be received for consideration during our current rolling admission phase.
All applicants will be notified of acceptance decisions by May 3, 2024.
Full tuition payment will be due before June 7, 2024.
A limited number of seats are available for this program. Interested students should submit the online application above as early as possible.
Application Process
- Submit an online summer camp application at this link.
- Pay non-refundable $40 application fee.
- Submit transcript via email to deesea@tcnj.edu. There is no minimum GPA for this program. However, the transcript helps the faculty understand how the program should be tailored to potential participants.
- Submit letter of recommendation via email to deesea@tcnj.edu. Participants should ask a teacher or counselor from their school to write this letter and send it to Dr. Deese directly with the subject “Letter to Support Student – John/Jane Doe”.
- Pay tuition.
Contact Us
Anthony S. Deese, Ph.D.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
School of Engineering
The College of New Jersey
Phone: 267.671.9174
Email: deesea@tcnj.edu
Covid-19 Notice:
The camp will only take place if the College is able to host conferences/groups on campus at that time in accordance with the latest COVID regulations. In the event summer activities on campus are cancelled, application and camp fees will be reimbursed.