Youth are encourageds to explore the science and technology used by biomedical engineers in the TechXcite bioimaging module. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in this career is expected to rise by 62 percent over the next decade due to an aging population and advances in medical technology. In other words,the job outlook is great for this field. Check out the Future Engineer website that is funded through a National Science Foundation grant; it provides background information on what it takes to be a biomedical engineer.

Youth, and adults, can also learn more about the science, math and engineering concepts that are involved in this career through participation in BioMedTech: Imaging the human body. This TechXcite module is being offered in Michigan through Michigan State University Extension youth development programs.Visit the MSU Extension events calendar to see if this opportunity exists in your community.

The program is designed for middle school students, but can be adapted for youth ages 9 to 19.  Programs may be led by 4-H leaders, parents, teachers or MSU Extension staff.  We invite parents or community members who enjoy working with youth to get involved by becoming leaders of this program. All curriculum and resources are provided and are available on the TechXcite website.  Contact your local MSU Extension office if you would like to get involved.

Participants meet together for a total of five sessions with each session lasting about one hour. Therefore, for a short time commitment youth can explore the science, math and engineering within this career.

In this module, participants will complete the following:

• use sunprints of objects to compare to what occurs in X-rays 
• explore the concept of density and why it is important in X-ray technology 
• investigate what happens with sound waves
• compare this with echolocation technology that submarines use 
• create a 3-D terrain and complete an exercise to simulate how an ultrasound works

Participants do not need to be current 4-H members, yet they can become members or get more information on how to join. 

Look for the next article on the TechXcite your TV remote, coming soon!