This week, Methodist University hosted the first of its academic summer camps – starting with the week-long STEM Camp. Geared towards rising middle school students, the camp focused on teaching students the four main tenets of STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
If Methodist University’s STEM Camp is any indication, the future is bright for the greater Fayetteville region.
This week, Methodist University hosted the first of its academic summer camps – starting with the week-long STEM Camp. Geared towards rising middle school students, the camp focused on teaching students the four main tenets of STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The camp gives campers a chance to learn through hands-on learning activities taught by MU’s faculty:
- We’re Diggin’ Soil Science (Assistant Professor Joshua Freeman, Environmental Health & Safety)
- Fibonacci Lemonade (Dr. Denise Bauer, Engineering and Environmental Health & Safety, and Cecilia Ducloz, Mathematics)
- Just How Fast Am I? (Associate Professor Dan Bennett and Ducloz, Mathematics)
- Welcome to the Game Builder (Dr. Abdulraham Hafez, Computer Science)
- Movement Analysis Using Video Capture (Dr. Matthew Foreman, Occupational Therapy, and Dr. Amanda Ransom, Physical Therapy)
- Eyeball Anatomy (Assistant Professor Meghan Hennessey, Biology)
- Keeping Our Labs Safe (Freeman, Environmental Health & Safety)
- Crime Scene Investigation (Dr. Steve Downs and Isis Tutman, Forensic Science)
- STEM and Sports (Brock White and Tim Carlson, PGA Golf Management)
- Elephant Toothpaste (Clare Herron, Biology, and Tiana Dann, Chemistry)
- Technology in Nursing (Dr. Shannon Matthews and Dr. Sabrina Pope, Nursing)
- Engineering: Bridge Engineering (Dr. Girish Upreti, Engineering)
- Projectiles! (Bauer, Engineering and Environmental Health & Safety)
“Middle school is an important time when kids are figuring out if they really love STEM and whether they want to pursue it further,” said Bauer, who is the camp organizer, head of the division of Engineering & Environmental Studies, and chair and director of Engineering. “Methodist University’s STEM Camp exposes campers to a variety of STEM fields and topic they may have not experienced before, and it could spark an interest in something they’ve never thought about before. The MU faculty and staff enjoy interacting with the campers while they explore, learn, and have lots of fun.”
STEM Camp welcomed a full capacity of 30 campers this year – a sign of the impact the camp is making on the community.
“It’s important to keep your mind going during the summer,” said camper Michael Bandy. “Some of the information we are learning here can be used for different classes in middle school and eventually high school… This is my first time at Methodist University, and I love that it’s a community here.”
To view photos from this week’s STEM Camp, keep tabs on the MU Flickr page. You can also learn more about upcoming summer camps.