Students from University Prep High Schools in Detroit explored virtual reality, sustainability research and collaborative problem-solving this month during the TRIO Upward Bound Detroit STEAM Summit at Michigan Central.

The experience was part of Project SustAIn: Innovating Today, Sustaining Tomorrow, an Impact 30-supported initiative expanding access to STEAM and AI learning opportunities for first-generation students. 

The summit brought together hands-on learning experiences designed to introduce students to STEAM fields through emerging technologies and real-world applications. 

Students rotated through experiences led by REP4®, Grand Valley’s IT Innovation + Research Team and Detroit-based Ecotek Lab , a science research organization dedicated to supporting future scientists. 

“Experiences like this are critical because they help students see themselves as innovators, problem solvers and future leaders in spaces that are shaping the world around them,” said B. Donta Truss, vice president for Enrollment Development and College Futures. 

“Through TRIO and REP4®, we are intentionally creating opportunities for students to engage with emerging technologies, collaborative learning and real-world challenges in ways that expand both access and imagination.” 

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“We wanted students to feel inspired and curious about what’s possible for their future,” said Whitney Thomas, director of TRIO Upward Bound Math Science Detroit. “Experiences like this help students connect what they’re learning in school to real opportunities beyond the classroom.” 

In the virtual reality experience, students used Gravity Sketch to design and build digital models in an immersive environment, gaining exposure to how VR tools are used in education and industry.  

“Getting students exposed to these tools and understanding that they exist is incredibly important,” said Hunter Bridwell, emerging technologies coordinator with GVSU’s IT Innovation + Research Team. “Without that exposure, they don’t know what’s possible.” 

At Ecotek Lab, students explored research connected to space engineering, water quality and material science, seeing how scientific ideas connect to real-world challenges. 

“The exposure creates the pathway of interest,” said Keith Young, founder and CEO of Ecotek. “The lab creates that bridge.” 

Inside Michigan Central, students moved between experiences that challenged them to think differently, work collaboratively and test new ideas in real time while exploring future possibilities in STEAM fields. 

“The virtual reality was the most interesting thing I learned, that you can take the things you make in virtual reality and print them into real things in the real world,” said Malcolm Williams, a University Prep student.