Stimulating Their Minds

The Gross Catholic’s Engineering Team program is designed to stimulate students’ interest and excitement in engineering, architecture and related sciences, while defining and researching a topic or problem relevant to their interests.  The Engineering Team teams with the Society of American Mechanical Engineering, and enters an annual high school competition held each spring. Each year the engineering team completes a design project and enters an annual high school competition held each spring sponsored by the Society of American Military Engineers.

• In 2008 the E Team earned the top award in the Student Initiative Mentoring Program sponsored by the Omaha Chapter of the Society of American Military Engineers for their design of a supervised housing complex for young adults with Down syndrome or autism in conjunction with Sheltering Tree.
• In 2007, the team won the Omaha Post President's Award for their design of an affordable housing development working with Omaha Economic Development Corporation.
• In 2006, the team won the Teamwork Award for their design of an office complex for St. Columbkille Parish.
• In 2005, the team won the Research Award for their design of a Youth Empowerment Center and BMX racing track working with Inner-City Resources Inc.
• In 2004, the team won the Omaha Post Honor Award for their design of a low-cost independent living facility for the elderly and a food bank in cooperation with Catholic Charities.

The team meets one night per week to develop their designs, with guidance from a SAME professional architect or engineer.

The project for the 2006-2007 school year will benefit Omaha community elderly with the design of a low-income housing development near 60th and Hartman. The team is working with Omaha Economic Development Corporation.

Engineering Team students are regularly admitted the University of Nebraska at Omaha Peter Kiewit Institute as Scott Scholars.