SCUC Connect Winter 2022

REACHING for the STARS

ST E MK AMP O F F E R S H A ND S - ON ST E M L E A R N I NG O P P ORT U N I T I E S B E YOND T H E C L AS S ROOM

Photos Courtesy: Elizabeth Gracia

in 2021. Although STEMKAMP is designed and funded for SCUC students of Active Duty Personnel, enrollment is open to all students. Priority is given to active duty, federal civilian employees and Gold Star/ Disabled Veteran families. The focus in 2022 was New Frontiers in Space, creating the learning challenge for 200 students going into grades 3-8 to come up with workable solutions to develop human colonies in space. Subject matter for the project included soil activity, wind activity and a topography activity to determine the best way to move forward in the quest to make the galaxy habitable. “The kids get exposed to different aspects of STEM that they don’t typically get from being in a classroom,” said Mary Burns, whose three children participated in STEMKAMP for the second consecutive year. Burns, who serves as a substitute teacher at SCUC, marveled at how students from different grades and age groups interacted with each other to accomplish a task, and in some instances, continued to talk about the daily lessons at home. “My younger daughters were able to discuss with my son what they had learned and he was able to share and expand what they learned at his level,” she said. Camp highlights included field trips to Randolph Air Force Base where students visited the flightline and actually experienced the flight training simulators. “It was amazing. It was just over the top,”

Fifth and sixth graders traveled to Johnson City, Texas for an all day tour to interact with hands-on concepts at The Science Mill.

1 8 S C U C C o n n e c t C o m m u n i t y E d i t i o n

YEAR TWO OF THE DODEA STEMKAMP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics for Kids of Military Personnel) was a huge success! The weeklong hands on learning venture offered learning experiences and exposure to STEM-related fields, and opportunities for students to practice critical thinking, problem solving, laboratory skills and higher-order thinking skills.. “The kids were very hyper-interested and excited to be there,” said Dee Thomas, DoDEA (Department of Defense Education Activity) Project/Grant Manager, who oversees STEMKAMP. ‘`We were given fifty additional seats because we had such a high registration rate for the first STEMKAMP.’ Nineteen percent of the students taking part in STEMKAMP were students who participated in the inaugural STEMKAMP