CLARKSVILLE, TN – School may be out for summer, but Tri-County Upward Bound (TCUB) students from Houston, Cheatham and Stewart County high schools recently spent six weeks living at Austin Peay State University and taking classes to prepare for the college experience.
APSU has provided the free program since 1998 through federal grant funding, and it supports low-income or first-generation college students. From core subjects like math to electives like 3D printing, there are plenty of opportunities to learn.
“Many of our students have not experienced things outside of their communities,” said Melissa Conwell, director of Tri-County Upward Bound. “The experience of being away from their parents and their family for a long time is significant, and they gain that sense of independence and responsibility as college students.”
Conwell said the program is designed to treat participants like college students, which means they live in Austin Peay’s residence halls and choose their class schedules.
One of the more popular course offerings is 3D printing – a recent addition that allows students to explore computer-aided design (CAD). Blue Tinsley, an academic coordinator for TCUB, began teaching the class in 2022, shortly after graduating from APSU.
“When I originally came up with this, a big goal was to encourage students to get into STEAM – science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics,” he said. “I want to do that by getting them excited about it and showing them how to do CAD modeling.”
Tinsley spent the summer helping students learn to use Tinkercad, an entry-level design program, to create various projects using 3D printers.
“I really like the 3D printing class,” said Christian Traylor, a rising junior at Christian County High School. “I heard about [TCUB] through my brother because he went to it, and it’s been great. I’m excited to build [our final 3D printing project].”
Traylor and his classmates worked together to create an “infinite city” for their final project, which will be unveiled in the fall during one of TCUB’s Saturday sessions.
“The way the infinite city works is that each student designs their own building to go on a base,” Tinsley said. “LEDs are installed, and they also have an opportunity to do soldering and electronics. All the buildings are assembled into a large grid, so it looks like a big city.”
Tinsley said he enjoys watching students grow more comfortable with CAD throughout the summer and discovered a passion for teaching last year as a result.
“I think my favorite thing is that moment when it clicks with them,” he said. “Either when they realize how the 3D printer works and how to slice their models, or they find a design online that excites them … if they’re excited about something and want to take it another step, I try and give them that extra free time.”
For more information about Tri-County Upward Bound, visit https://www.apsu.edu/tcub.