A pilot program started by Ghina Absi, assistant professor in the practice of civil and environmental engineering at Vanderbilt University, is helping to spark high school students’ interest in engineering and STEM as well as show them the impact they can have on their communities. The program is a joint venture with the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV), which is a partnership with Vanderbilt and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS). Juniors from various Nashville high schools came together once a week for three hours from Aug. 29 to Sept. 19 to learn about civil engineering and the roles of…