Bolles alumni Van Lucas ’16 and Camille Furfine ’16 returned to the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus with past Bolles parent Susan Lucas on September 23 as part of the Lucas and Scott Engineering team to share their expertise with Grade 4 students preparing for their bridge unit in iLab.

The group introduced students to different types of engineering before taking a deeper look at structural engineering and the principles behind strong, stable structures. Students then put those concepts into practice with a hands-on bridge-building challenge, using cups and a single sheet of paper to create a bridge capable of supporting toy cars.

As students tested their designs, the Lucas and Scott Engineering team circulated among the groups, assessing the structural stability of their bridges and helping students brainstorm solutions and improvements. The experience provided a fitting introduction to the upcoming iLab unit, where fourth graders will research different types of bridges and experiment with their own designs. 

This opportunity was part of The J. Malcolm Jones Jr. Mentorship Program. Those interested in participating can learn more and get connected here.