Ellen Collins, laboratory analysis specialist and engineer from Volkswagen speaking to students at Hunter Middle School
In celebration of National Engineers Week, Volkswagen Chattanooga engineers visited several Volkswagen eLabs in schools across Hamilton County. Engineers shared their personal career journeys, spoke about the work they do and explained the many ways engineers contribute to the manufacturing process.
Students in eighth to 12th grades presented projects they developed in Volkswagen eLabs using digital fabrication equipment.
Red Bank High students revealed their in-progress electric race car, which they are preparing for a summer competition. East Hamilton Middle High students tested the structural fortitude of tables they created using Volkswagen eLabs equipment, seeing how much weight each table could withstand before collapsing.
There are 16 schools in Hamilton County equipped with Volkswagen eLabs—the result of a $1 million donation by Volkswagen Chattanooga and the State of Tennessee. Volkswagen eLabs provide approximately 11,000 Hamilton County students with access to digital fabrication tools and emergent technologies that offer opportunities for authentic problem-solving.
Volkswagen eLabs are administered in collaboration with the Public Education Foundation, an independent, nonprofit organization. PEF provides training, research and resources to teachers and principals at schools in Hamilton County.