CBU College of Engineering Fosters Creative Learning this Holiday Season

For local high school students, the road to engineering careers is paved with icing as California Baptist University hosts the annual Gingerbread House Shakedown.

Combining creativity, competition, and a taste of the season, the educational hands-on challenge brings teamwork, real-world math, and engineering principles together as high school students collaborate with CBU engineering majors to design sturdy gingerbread structures capable of enduring increasingly intense earthquake magnitudes. The structures are tested on the “shake table,” an earthquake simulation device.

“For many high school students, this event serves as an eye-opener to how engineers solve real-world problems,” said Dr. Phil van Haaster, dean of the CBU College of Engineering. “During this holiday season and all year long, we want to show students that careers in engineering aren’t only found in textbooks.”

While The Gingerbread House Shakedown encompasses principles associated with mechanical engineering, students also have the opportunity to learn about all of CBU’s robust programs within the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering. Seven concentrations, including civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and more, are highlighted throughout the year through other high school events.

The Gingerbread House Shakedown falls as high school seniors are deciding on their next steps with college and careers. To help offset the heaviness of college application fees and make college more accessible, CBU is waving application fees as part of its “No Fee November.” The university is also unique in offering an accelerated three-year degree option for mechanical engineering, which is ideal for highly motivated students who are interested in a faster path to entering the workforce.

Visit www.calbaptist.edu for more information on CBU’s engineering programs, applications, and campus visits.