STEM Camp 2019
Madison, Logan and Bree started their STEM camp session a little confused. On the table in front of them were laser cut parts, electrical wires and batteries. What they did not know at this point is that they would walk out of their Make It Take It 2 class with a Robotic Car. The campers had three hours to bring to life their car. They were able to personalize their car by lasering on designs of their choice.. Even though some elements of the project were too time consuming to complete during the camp, students were shown all aspects of project creation. After finishing her car Bree said, “When I saw the completed project I was worried I could not do this. There were wire cutters and several colors of wire in front of me. I was getting nervous. I learned how to strip wires and how to solder them together. It was a lot of fun and the car was awesome!! I cannot wait to come back next year!”
The campers were just three of the several middle schoolers that attended Morrison Tech’s second Summer STEM Camp. For three days Morrison Tech opened their campus to middle schoolers and hosted seven STEM related sessions. This year three new activities were added. The camp expanded on their Robotics option, added an additional Make It - Take and offered a new choice; Wear’s the Tech. The purpose of the camp was to encourage STEM awareness at a younger age.
Along with the Make it or Take it 2 session the school offered six additional STEM related activities; Bridging into the Future, Robot Revolution, Robot Resurgence, Make it Take it 1, Wear’s the Tech and Coding4Kids.
Those participating in the Robot Revolution were able to build a robot, piece by piece, than take it to the “arena” to test it out. A four sided arena was built for the project and allowed the students to control their robots while performing various activities.
Upstairs in another classroom students were exploring basic bridge design and using a computer simulation to create their own, and creating their own design to test its strength and durability. Next door kids explored basic programming using raspberry pi’s and applied their knowledge in a programmable smart car race.
All activities were hands on and taught by Morrison Tech instructors and staff. The camp was open to any middle school aged children. Scott Connelly, Director of Career Services, said that there are no skill requirements for the camp, but campers leave with a strong grasp of the opportunities available to them in science, technology, engineering and math. Campers are shown that STEM is more than just textbooks and theory; STEM directly impacts the students in their daily lives. The non-exclusivity of the camp is crucial to supplying the large demand for STEM careers.
Morrison Tech is a two year college that awards an Associate of Applied Science degree in Engineering Technology and Network Administration. The college boasts a 97% career placement rate and was ranked #19 by Forbes Magazines top 30 Trade Schools in the nation list. For more information about the college please contact Admissions at 815-772-7218 x206 or admissions@morrisontech.edu
