This past school semester, the Jasper County School District held the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the district’s new STEM “iNoVaTe” Labs at Ridgeland Elementary, Hardeeville Elementary, and Hardeeville-Ridgeland Middle School.
In efforts to provide continuous learning and reduce the summer learning gap for students, the STEM “iNoVaTe” team offered the STEMU Summer Camp. The camp was designed to encourage rising 6th graders to pursue a future in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The camp offered hands-on activities that focused on teaching students how scientists and engineers assist with making their community a better place to live and learn. STEMU Camp allowed students to create projects in the STEMU Lab and learn about the basics of Robotic Coding, Software Design, Aerospace Engineering, and Game Design.
Students were able to work in the new STEMU Labs and experience the technology-based sections of the lab. The lab consists of Virtual Reality laptop activities, Hovercam, Audio-Visual Technology, NAO Robotics Video, the MimoSpace Wall, and more. The STEM projects prompted students to create projects, indoors and outdoors.
Skylar Badger, STEMU Summer Camp student, stated, “I enjoyed the STEMU Camp, we learned the basics of engineering and created various projects. We had so much fun learning about the basic areas of STEM. I hope I can participate next Summer!”
At the end of the program, students were required to present a PowerPoint presentation, sharing what they learned and their experience during the camp. Each student shared that they enjoyed the camp and their learning experience with having hands-on activities; some students provided feedback on what they would like to experience next summer.
Ms. Jessica Russell, Mrs. Natasha Tingman-Orr, and Mrs. Clare Archer were eager to assist with the first-time camp experience with the HRMS students.
Russell, who served as Site Leader, stated, “As teachers, it was a great pleasure working with the students; learning all the different ideas and seeing all the different talents that each student contributed to the program.”
The students and staff were very appreciative of the opportunity presented and sponsored by Mr. Christopher Williams, Director of Partnership Development of STEM U.
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