Hands-on learning at Tech Day inspires future Orediggers

It’s more than an eight-hour drive from Oroville, Washington to Butte, Montana, but Montana Tech mining engineering sophomore Kylie Acord says it was worth traveling to campus for Tech Day in Fall 2022 to get a taste of the hands-on learning experiences and campus life the University offers.

“It was really fun,” Acord said. “I toured the Mining Engineering Department and the Electrical Engineering Department. I liked that instead of talking about their departments, they each had some sort of hands-on activity that related it to what they do. It helped me make my college decision. I was actually a part of the Montana Tech world for a little bit.”

Tech Day is a one-of-a-kind, hands-on college visit experience for prospective students. Students are invited to the main University campus in historic Uptown Butte, Montana, for a day of interactive laboratory breakout sessions, campus tours, and a chance to explore academic areas of interest. Spring Tech Day 2025 will take place on Friday, March 7. Registration is now open.

The activities Acord experienced were exciting.

“For the Electrical Engineering session, we took little tiny robots and programmed them to follow a line on a table,” Acord said. “For the Mining Engineering session, I set off a blasting cap in a little plastic box. I also used the VR (virtual reality) headset and simulated experiences with equipment.”

Acord says Montana Tech has delivered a hands-on experience that was true to what she expected based on her Tech Day preview. In her first year, she was able to take a class in the Underground Mine Education Center (UMEC). The UMEC is a hands-on, interdisciplinary educational space consisting of the former Orphan Boy and Orphan Girl Mines located immediately west of campus.

“It was a wonderful class that was super hands-on,” Acord said.  “You get to see what it's actually like to be in a mine and figure out if you are okay with working underground. You learn how to operate a drill, fix equipment, safety protocols, blasting patterns, how to conduct an underground survey, and all sorts of other things.”

Acord is an engaged member of campus. She is a member of the Intercollegiate Mining Competition, the Women in Mining student chapter, and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration. In addition, she’s the first female teaching assistant to assist Dr. Scott Rosenthal in courses taught in the UMEC. In that role, she introduces students to mining engineering in an interactive way, not so different from her own first experiences at Tech Day.

“I help the new students learn how to run the drills, fix the drills, address any problems that happen down there, and emphasize safety,” Acord said.

Acord toured numerous colleges before choosing Montana Tech. Two years later, she’s sure she picked the right place for her.

“Montana Tech has a really strong family sort of feeling,” she said. “Everyone here is so welcoming and nice.”

Students who attend Tech Day can choose to participate in a variety of breakout sessions to get a full day of hands-on activities. Sessions available March 7 include:

• Business and Information Technology (BIT): Learn how to use Microsoft Power BI, one of the world's leading business intelligence apps, and win prizes playing BIT themed Jeopardy. 
• Cadaver Dissection Lab: Witness and interact with human cadavers and participate in a hands-on dissection of various animal organs in or Cadaver Lab session. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about our Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Exercise and Health Science programs. Limited to 20 students. 
• Computer Science and Software Engineering: Students will see how a classic game leads to discussion for more advanced games, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the ethical and moral dilemmas that can come from the AI applications. 
• Electrical Engineering: Put your skills to the test as you learn binary code and program a robot to follow a line on the floor. Students interested in electrical engineering, robotics, and computer science are encouraged to join!
• Environmental Engineering: Explore drone-based remote sensing data collection in water resources, engineering and mine waste remediation projects. 
• Mathematical Sciences: Discover how building tensegrity models can be fun and learn how they can occur in nature alongside our Mathematical Sciences department. 
• Metallurgical and Materials Engineering: Learn how materials can be manipulated with casting and thermite welding demos, and a steel forging competition.
• Mining Engineering: Get to see what happens when chemical energy is released, and learn about the importance of safety in mining through a virtual reality (VR) experience. 
• Nursing Simulation: The Sherry Lesar School of Nursing will demonstrate use of computerized mannequins that perform human functions to create a realistic clinical environment and give students an opportunity to explore a variety of healthcare scenarios. Limited to 30 students.  
• Occupational Safety and Health (OSH): Explore the diverse world of Occupational Safety and Industrial Hygiene. OSH is a highly employable health science field with jobs in numerous industries worldwide. Limited to 20 students. 
• Petroleum Engineering: Join the Petroleum Engineering Department as they take a spin through our state-of-the-art laboratories with demonstrations. 
• Prepare for College Panel: Hear from current students and departments like, Admissions, Financial Aid, and Residence Life, about the best ways to prepare for life at college. 
• Highlands College Campus Tour: Interested in one of our associates or certificate programs? This tour will give you a peek into the incredible hands-on lab spaces at Highlands College. Attendees must have their own transportation to 25 Basin Creek Rd. 

Prospective students can sign up for this year’s March 7 Tech Day event at https://iam.mtech.edu/techdaydigital/inquiryform. 

 If you have questions, please reach out to the Admissions Office at Montana Tech at admissions@mtech.edu or (406) 496-4754.

Students interested in an Associate of Science or Associate of Applied Science programs, as well as certificate programs in the trades, may want to opt to attend Highlands College Exploration Day, which will take place on April 9, 2025. Registration will open in late February.