Source News, Nov. 27, 2011 "UCSI students take part in 'Win the Bid' expo"

Students of the Utica Center for Science and Industry put their skills on display during the "Win the Bid" expo Nov. 22. They were asked to make improvements to products already on the market and present them to local business professionals in hopes of winning their bids. "We gave the kids three situations using things they would be able to use," said UCSI Program Coordinator Scott Palmer. The options provided to the students were creating a new, non-gaming application for Apple's iPad; making a more durable Xbox controller for soldiers fighting in the field for Microsoft; or creating a stylish, durable, ergonomically comfortable phone for Verizon. "The kids were paired off into teams and they had two weeks to work on the projects," said Palmer. "That included design, presentation, budgeting and more."
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X-OLOGY, Fall 2010, "ROVs Go Underwater"

"Students at four high schools are making a name for the Utica, MI Community Schools (UCS) in robotics circles. The students - a dozen of them in the 2009-2010 school year are part of the Technical Underwater Robotics Research Engineering Team (TURRET) that designs and builds a remote-operated vehicle, or ROV, to enter into a regional competition with other schools. The competition tests the ROV's ability to not only race across a pool bottom, but also compete rather complicated tasks..."
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UCS News, March 27, 2011, "Specialty Programs Provide Choices Unique to Students"

...Through the Utica Center for Science and Industry (UCSI), the district has partnered with local business, industry and higher education leaders to equip students with the knowledge they need to be successful in today's global society. Students receive work-based learning experiences through job shadowing, mentoring, and on-the-job internships. Learning from those in the field, students receive a real sense of how what they learn will be relevant to them in their future careers..."
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