About 200 teens and preteens visited Cal Poly this week to participate in educational events such as building bridges, launching rockets, designing and racing solar-powered cars, and programming robots.

The program exposes underrepresented children — including many from Santa Maria — to the possibilities in the fields of engineering, science, technology and mathematics.

The Engineering Possibilities in College program is in its fifth year at Cal Poly.

As part of its effort to diversify the campus, Cal Poly is focusing on attracting and retaining minority students in science and math. The university’s Multicultural Engineering Program also serves to help underrepresented students at Cal Poly by providing tutoring, scholarship and networking opportunities.

Nick Wilson