45 students from rural areas experienced student life at Politehnica University Timisoara

45 students from rural areas experienced student life at Politehnica University Timisoara

Between September 14-17, 2023, Politehnica University Timisoara hosted 45 high school students from rural areas, accompanied by 3 teachers from Novaci Theoretical High School, Gorj County. They participated in Poli Camp, organized in Timisoara by the University Marketing Department and the Career Counseling and Orientation Center, with the involvement of UPT faculties. The high school was selected because many of the students at Politehnica University Timisoara come from there.

The aim of the camp was to inform and familiarize students with the university environment to facilitate a smoother transition to higher education and successful career orientation. During the camp, students, divided into three groups, attended activities in teaching laboratories, participated in activities for self-awareness and personal development, various types of non-formal education workshops, and recreational activities, guided by volunteer students from Politehnica University Timisoara.

The camp is part of a project coordinated by Politehnica University Timisoara - UPTech - which aims to increase access to undergraduate programs offered by Politehnica University Timisoara for students from rural high schools and towns with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. This is done through an institutionalized model that integrates innovative practices and a hybrid configuration of paths and resources, combining technology and the virtual environment with face-to-face activities, academic education with cultural enrichment, learning with professional development and career guidance. The goal is to guide students in the process of academic socialization, familiarize them with admission procedures, academic training dynamics, and provide relevant information for an appropriate and individualized educational path.

During the camp, UPT teachers spoke to the students and conducted experiments in the field of 3D printing, renewable energy, the transformation of different types of energy, chemistry in painting, as well as discussions on career choices, emotional management, entrepreneurial development, the role of the European Union, human rights education, the phenomenon of fake news, and more.

"Through this project, we wanted to give high school students the opportunity to experience student life, what it means to be an engineer in various fields, and what opportunities Politehnica University Timisoara offers. The practical activities they participated in at the faculty laboratories, under the guidance of teachers, will help them understand the connection between theoretical concepts learned at school and how they are useful for professions for which Politehnica University Timisoara prepares specialists," said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eng. Alina Dumitrel, Ph.D., Vice-Rector of Politehnica University Timisoara and project coordinator.

Poli Camp is in its second edition, with the first one being organized in June 2023, with students from rural high schools in Arad, Hunedoara, and Timis counties. A new edition is scheduled for the end of October 2023.