Inspire 2026: E4: Design Thinking & Rapid Prototyping: From Idea to Innovation (July 20- July 24)

In this hands-on, creativity-driven course, students will step into the role of real-world engineers and inventors as they tackle authentic challenges through the design thinking process—empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. Working in teams, they’ll identify meaningful problems, brainstorm innovative ideas, and bring their visions to life through sketching, CAD modeling, and 3D printing. Along the way, they’ll learn how to give and receive constructive feedback and apply iterative design to strengthen their solutions.

By the end of the course, students will have developed both their technical and collaborative skills as they refine and communicate their engineering solutions. Each team will showcase its final prototype in a dynamic “Shark Tank”-style pitch, demonstrating not only their creativity and problem-solving abilities, but also their understanding of human-centered design. This experience is ideal for students who love hands-on learning, teamwork, and the thrill of creating something meaningful from the ground up.

This class is part of E⁴ Exploring Exciting Engineering Essentials. The UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science has created a series of classes that can be taken individually or together to help aspiring engineers learn more about the foundations of engineering and what is possible when you apply the same framework to different topics.

This is an in-person course that meets daily Monday-Friday in Fairfax, 9AM – 4PM ET. Tuition covers materials, meals (lunch/snacks), and transportation to any off-site excursions.

Refund Policy: Registrants are eligible for a refund until 60 days from the program start. Please note that a $150 administrative fee will be retained to cover the costs associated with application review and the admissions process. No refunds will be available after 60 days from the program start. To cancel your registration and request a refund, please contact inspire.northern@virginia.edu.