UPWARDS TechTrek High School Summer Camp
High School Summer Camp 2026
UPWARDS TechTrek High School Summer Camp
A two-week, project-based program covering electronic circuits and FPGA-based digital design, with hands-on lab projects that connect lecture content to working hardware.
Program structure
One integrated camp organized by topic, lecture, and project work
TechTrek is organized around two technical topics. Each topic combines short lecture modules with hands-on projects, so students can connect the idea, the tool, and the working demo instead of treating them as separate tracks.
Topic 1
Electronic Circuits
Students learn how real-world signals become electrical information, then build sensor, power, and embedded hardware projects.
Circuit activities use real hardware setups including Raspberry Pi sensor systems and Arduino-based communication projects such as Li-Fi using LED light.
Lecture
- Voltage, current, resistance, power, sensors, and electronic components.
- Breadboard prototyping, jumper wiring, battery power, and safe measurement with multimeters.
- Arduino and Raspberry Pi starter workflows for connecting circuits to code.
- How circuit blocks support sensing, automation, wireless control, and intelligent systems.
Sample Projects
Voltage Regulator
Build 3.3 V and 5 V regulator circuits and test power output.
Night Light / Dark Sensor
Use an LDR-based circuit to turn light on or off based on ambient brightness.
Solar Panel Tracking
Use light sensors and a servo-controlled platform to follow the strongest light direction.
Raspberry Pi Motion Detection
Detect motion with a Raspberry Pi and trigger notification-style outputs.
Data Transfer Using LED Light (Li-Fi)
Explore optical communication by sending information through LED light.
Arduino-Based Car Parking System
Use sensors, display logic, and Arduino control to model an automatic parking system.
LoRa Relay Control with Feedback
Use long-range wireless communication to control relay outputs and receive status feedback.
Topic 2
Digital Design and FPGA
Students move from logic gates to real FPGA hardware, learning how digital circuits can be designed, simulated, and deployed.
Students work with advanced FPGA development boards and real hardware platforms while learning digital design, implementation, and system-level prototyping.
Lecture
- What an FPGA is, how it differs from CPUs and GPUs, and where it appears in wireless, aerospace, and research systems.
- Logic gates, Boolean algebra, truth tables, and combinational logic such as adders and multiplexers.
- Sequential logic: latches, flip-flops, registers, shift registers, clocks, and state.
- SystemVerilog, RTL simulation, Intel Quartus, clock dividers, FSM scaffolding, button debouncing, and 7-segment displays.
Sample Projects
Reaction Time Tester
Build an FPGA game that measures how quickly a player presses a button after LEDs turn on.
Simon Says
Rebuild the classic memory game in hardware using LED sequences, buttons, scoring, and FSM control.
PWM Audio Synthesizer
Use pulse-width modulation to generate tones, switch-selected notes, volume control, and optional melody playback.
45–60 minute tutorial sessions
College, careers, and post-secondary pathways
Short tutorial sessions can diversify the camp flow and give students a clearer view of college preparation, technical careers, research, and innovation beyond the hands-on build sessions.
Applying to College
How to prepare a stronger application, describe projects, choose programs, and connect camp work to future academic goals.
Technical Careers and Academic Planning
Career paths, job-market signals, and course/major choices for students interested in hardware, cybersecurity, and energy systems.
Virginia Tech IT, IoT, and Cybersecurity Programs in the DC Area
An introduction to relevant undergraduate and graduate pathways, including how students can keep building after the camp.
Invention, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and IP
How technical ideas become prototypes, protected intellectual property, startups, or research-driven products.
Independent Investigation and Research Strategies
How to turn a project question into a small research plan, collect evidence, test ideas, and communicate results.
Publishing Research
A practical introduction to abstracts, posters, papers, authorship, peer review, and presenting technical work responsibly.
Work-Based Learning in Technical Fields
What internships, lab work, job shadowing, and project portfolios can look like for students entering technical fields.
Camp experience
Hands-on projects, teamwork, and technical storytelling
Students practice technical communication, debugging, teamwork, and design thinking. They should be able to explain what they built, why it matters, what tradeoffs they made, what failed during testing, and how they improved the system.
Students who want to keep going may be connected with longer-term innovation and research opportunities with Virginia Tech faculty and students.
Interested in UPWARDS TechTrek?
Review the topics, lecture modules, and project areas, then complete the interest form to receive program updates.