It’s 9 in the morning and Técnico’s Campus Oeiras fills up with backpacks, laughter and a question hanging over every corridor: “what are we doing today?” For two weeks, the campus swapped its usual engineering students for younger ones, who came to find out whether this is the path they want to follow. This edition of Verão na ULisboa left its mark on many — especially on those who already carried, tucked away, the dream of becoming an engineer.

Over the two weeks, secondary school and lower-secondary students came through the campus to try out activities such as “You Too Can Make Video Games!”, “NanoSatellites”, “The Supply Chain Game”, “From Idea to Circuit: Explore the World of Electronics”, “Sonic View” and the “Magic Lenses” workshop. They coded games, created Snapchat filters, soldered electronic boards and programmed LED sequences — always alongside mentors who are themselves Técnico students.

It was in this setting that 14-year-old Inês Madeira found what she was looking for. She arrived at Campus Oeiras after failing to get a place at her first-choice programme, but quickly realised she’d landed on her feet. “I think the courses they have here are really what I want,” she says, enthusiastically. Between coding a Pac-Man-style game, creating filters and programming LED sequences, it was the final circuit that surprised her most: “I didn’t know it was like this, and I didn’t know I could do this so easily.” She’s now considering Materials Engineering or Sound Engineering — and already plans to convince her brother to sign up for the next edition.

Tomás Tarouco, 13, also came to Técnico’s Campus Oeiras on a friend’s recommendation, whose brother had already been through the programme. His dream of becoming an airline pilot remains intact, but the week opened a door he wasn’t expecting: “I’m learning new things that I had no idea how to do.” Between electronic boards and lines of code, he realised that having a “Plan B” can be an advantage — and that aerospace engineering, after all, interests him too.

Guilherme Ferreira, 14, discovered the joy of soldering. He had already chosen the Science and Technology track for the next school year, but soldering was, for him, the big revelation: “I really enjoyed the activities.” Between coding games and creating filters, Guilherme sums up the week in one simple sentence, aimed at anyone still hesitating to sign up: “You’d have a good week. And you’d also learn a lot.”

Diogo Batista, 15, came at his parents’ suggestion, still undecided about which track to follow. He ended up choosing Science and found in Verão na ULisboa an unexpected confirmation. Assembling a board capable of producing sound and light was, for him, the high point of the week: “That was what I enjoyed most all week.” More than the technical skills, Diogo takes away friendships he wasn’t expecting to make: “I made a lot of friends here.”

Gonçalo Oliveira, just 12, brought a motivation unusual for his age: year after year, he’s already been visiting universities to work out what he likes best. This year, it was creating a game — with walls, enemies and a character he learned to control — that won him over. And there’s already a very practical benefit: “My dad works with computers, and thanks to this workshop I can already give him a hand.”

Behind the two weeks was a team made up mostly of Técnico’s own students. Maria Moura and Inês Maia, both 2nd-year students in the Master’s in Industrial Engineering and Management, took on the role of head mentors this year, after having served as group mentors in previous editions. They coordinated applications, organised logistics and oversaw a team of 4 group mentors and 8 activity mentors — 26 people in total.

In total, 53 participants took part in the secondary school week and 80 in the lower-secondary week at Campus Oeiras — a number that filled all the available places. For Maria and Inês, the difference between the two audiences is clear: the younger ones get excited about the playful side of the activities, while secondary school students are mainly looking to confirm — or rule out — a vocational path. “There were perhaps one or two who were already sure: I really want to go into a course like this,” Maria sums up.

For the two mentors, what they take away from the experience goes well beyond logistics. “At the end of the week, we’re over the moon to see them all leave happy with their certificates,” they share, highlighting how much managing people and unexpected situations helped them grow. It is, they say, the closest thing they’ve had so far to a real work experience — with genuine responsibilities and a team to coordinate.

Between soldered boards, coded games and friendships formed in just a few days, this year’s Verão na ULisboa wrapped up with a clear outcome: for Inês, Tomás, Guilherme, Diogo and Gonçalo, engineering has stopped being just a distant word — it has also become a concrete possibility for the future.