Lincoln laboratory radar introduction for student engineers

Lincoln Laboratory Radar Introduction for Student Engineers (LLRISE) is a two-week, intensive hands-on, residential workshop for rising high-school seniors from underserved school districts in the New England area. The summer program focuses on radar technology, a subject in which Lincoln Laboratory has a long history and extensive experience. The first LLRISE workshop was held in July 2012 at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Massachusetts, 14 miles west of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Students stayed at MIT at the Simmons dormitory and were provided daily transportation for two weeks to the Laboratory. This paper describes the overall experience these students were provided through lectures and coursework, the prototyping/building phase of the workshop, and enrichment experiences at MIT and in Boston. During the engineering portion of the workshop, students were mentored by Lincoln Laboratory technical staff. Students also received guidance on many social skills such as how to navigate the financial aid process, how to apply to college, and how to develop and deliver an effective presentation.