TPP Thanks Educators at STEM Summer Camps
With schools reopening, summer camps soon will be a distant memory. The Patuxent Partnership was pleased to support, and enjoyed visiting, some 2022 STEM Student Summer Camps in Southern Maryland. TPP was able to provide funding for the camps through the Maryland Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.
Leonardtown Middle School hosted the 2022 Thinkers’ Space program in July. The camp provided a variety of STEM activities for students entering grades 2 through 8. students explored concepts such as Engineering, Rocketry, Aeronautics, Coding, Robotics, Space Science, and Space Citizenship over the 4 days, with small group breakout sessions specializing in group problem-solving and team dynamics.
During lunch break students were encouraged to deliver jokes and tricks up on stage, much to everyone’s entertainment.
TPP enjoyed a tour of Thinkers’ Space Camp with our long-time partner, the brilliant Dr. Laura Carpenter, Director at St. Mary’s County Public Schools Destination ImagiNation Programs, and Director, Summer Space Camp Programs and Assistant Principal at the Benjamin Banneker Elementary School.
Camp Invention, sponsored by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), took place at St. Michael’s School in late July. There, some 50 students, Pre-K to 7th grade were intently and creatively working various projects under the watchful eyes of teachers and staff.
Ms. Anna Pence, Camp Director, 5th grade teacher at St Michael’ School, and SMCM alum, gave TPP a tour of the camp classes, and we saw student presentations of projects they had enthusiastically built, such as robots, space transports, marble towers, and the latest space fashions. All these classes had cross disciplinary curriculums through art, math, and science.
Ms. Anna Pence had the following to say about TPP’s involvement: “Without our funded bus transportation, an estimated 50-75% of our students would not have been able to attend Camp Invention. Gaining funded bus transportation was extremely valuable both to us and our local community, because 76% of our students who attended camp fall into the underrepresented STEM population…”
In August we visited the UMD STEM Engineering Camp, which was held at the USMSM SMART building. This camp was for high school students, and there was no cost to attend. TPP was pleased to provide robotics kits for the camp. Thirty students attended this camp. Kudos to Dr. Danilo Romero and his staff.
TPP would like to thank all education administrators, volunteer staff, and teachers on behalf of our community and future employers of these students.
The Patuxent Partnership is a non-profit member organization that fosters collaboration between government, industry, and academia to advance education through STEM-based initiatives–to advance science and technology through speaker programs, forums, and networking; the exchange of ideas and information; and increases workforce development through various initiatives. For more information, please visit paxpartnership.org or visit The Patuxent Partnership’s Leader member page.
