Clubs are a great way to explore, apply what you learn in classes and meet new friends. Here are some innovative STEM clubs available to everyone that you can join:
Concrete Canoe
Concrete Canoe presents its members with a unique challenge: Build a canoe out of concrete that can float on water and be used in a race.
Each year, members construct a new concrete canoe — focusing on two elements: the concrete mix and the mold. The team designs a lightweight concrete mixture and shapes the canoe to be fast but maneuverable while using the fewest materials.
They compete with the canoe at a three-day symposium hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers in the spring.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a national organization that fights to cure blood cancer by funding research efforts, advocating for legislation and providing financial assistance to blood cancer survivors.
The NU chapter aims to support the national organization’s goals through fundraising campaigns, and spreads blood cancer awareness through monthly panel discussions with healthcare professionals and by partnering with local organizations around the Chicago area.
NU Baja SAE
NU Baja SAE is an organization that designs, builds and races an off-road race car. Their mission is to give students hands-on experience in engineering, manufacturing and leadership.
The Baja SAE competition series, organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers, features events like an endurance race, acceleration event, maneuverability course, hill climb and sled pull to test the race car. Beyond the events, teams are also scored for their design, sales and cost.
NU Robotics Club
NU Robotics Club is a community for students of many majors interested in robotics. Projects range from technical research and national competitions to start-ups.
Some projects they’ve worked on include a robotic lacrosse goalie that uses computer vision to track and block the ball, a speed drone that beat the world record speed of 180 mph, and many more.
NU Robotics also competes every year with autonomous robots that must navigate a maze as fast as possible, fighting combat robots and an underwater remote-operated vehicle that can perform tasks.
NUSTARS
NUSTARS is an organization dedicated to aerospace engineering, rocketry and experimental space technology that focuses on the NASA Student Launch and the NASA BIG Idea Challenge.
NASA Student Launch is a nine-month competition where students design, build, test and launch high-powered rockets. For the NASA BIG Idea Challenge, NUSTARS designs metallic expandable technology for Artemis Lunar Structures for their forum in November.
These are only a few of the many clubs that students can join to explore STEM outside of the classroom.
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— Northwestern Robotics Club talks fighting robots, gears up for future competitions
— Students code through the night at NU’s largest hackathon WildHacks
