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HPU Hosts Annual STEM Camp for Children
Local childrenlearned about science, technology, engineering and math as High Point Universitys Stout School of Education hosted its 10
th
annual STEM Camp and provided a full week of fun science, technology, engineering and math activities. Pictured at left is Tiffany Taylor, an HPU student and teacher in the PREPARE program, reacting along with students and other teachers as rockets launched Saturday morning outside The Point College Prep and Leadership Academy.
HIGH POINT, N.C., June 26, 2023
Local children had a blast as High Point Universitys Stout School of Education hosted its 10
th
annual STEM Camp and provided a full week of fun science, technology, engineering and math activities
STEM Campers prepare rockets for launch on the final day of camp.
More than 110 students in kindergarten to sixth grade from The Point College Prep and Leadership Academy created something new each day at the camp, leading up to the last day with a rocket launch.
Local students learned about trajectory and inertia as they stepped on a lever and aimed for a hoop during a Mad Scientist demonstration.
We learned the five steps of the scientific method, said Deniya Crouch, a fifth-grade student who is attending STEM Camp for her first time. She listed the five steps as:
Ask a question
Experiment to test the hypothesis
Observe and Analyze
Draw a conclusion.
Following this years camp theme of Redesigning Our World through STEM, teacher residents from HPUs Stout School of Education led students through activities, including lessons on engineering, nanotechnology, renewable energy and robotics. For local children, the camp provides hands-on experiences with STEM concepts they learn in their classrooms and exposure to various career paths.
In the era of a teacher shortage, High Point University has crafted a pathway for developing teachers for todays public schools, said Tina Johnson, PREPARE director and associate professor in the Stout School of Education. High Point University is grateful for the partnership of The College Preparatory and Leadership Academy, the Earl and Kathryn Congdon Foundation and the United States Department of Education. Their collective support allows us to provide this unique STEM infused experience for 112 elementary students and 19 teacher residents. A commitment to STEM education is a commitment to American ingenuity and innovation.
The Congdon Family Foundation fund contributed more than $55,500 toward the schools Teacher Quality Partnership grant, called PREPARE, to provide teacher residents with an experiential learning experience by hosting a teacher academy and STEM summer camp, including transportation for students and supplies such as robotics.
Pacing in education is everything, said Shirley Disseler, adjunct professor in the Stout School of Education and STEM Camp coordinator. This has been an eye opener for thinking about the materials they need and working together in collaboration. There are new ways that science is being done and simple ways teachers can teach those concepts.
Through the years, the STEM Camp program has allowed the Guilford County Schools district to have more teachers with a better understanding of STEM concepts who use these activities in their own classrooms, said Disseler.
Were trying to do cutting-edge science thats also fun and engaging, said Anne Leak, an adjunct professor who also works with the Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships to focus on STEM equity in education. When we walked in this year, you could tell both the students and the teachers have a huge understanding of science and engineering now. Over time it becomes more sustainable and were really seeing some good STEM teaching all year round.
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.
HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students. U.S. News & World Report has ranked HPU the No. 1 Best Regional College in the South for 11 consecutive years and the No. 1 Most Innovative Regional College in the South for eight consecutive years. The Princeton Review named HPU in the 2023 edition of The Best 388 Colleges and on the Best Southeastern Colleges 2023 Best Colleges: Region by Region list. HPU was also recognized among the Top 20 in the nation for Best-Run Colleges, Best Career Services, Most Beautiful Campus, Most Active Student Government Association, Best College Dorms and Best Campus Food, as well as a Great School for Business/Finance Majors and a Great School for Communication Majors. For 13 years in a row, HPU has been named a College of Distinction with special recognition for career development, business and education programs. The university has 64 undergraduate majors, 66 undergraduate minors and 19 graduate degree programs. It is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the web at
highpoint.edu
.
Pictured at top right is Ashley Cluff, an HPU student and PREPARE participant, leading fifth-grade students in a STEM Camp activity focused on renewable energy.
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