Summer Camps

High schoolers explore renewable energy engineering at Mason Square summer camp

Teresa Donnellan — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 16:39:36 +0000

High schoolers explore renewable energy engineering at Mason Square summer camp Teresa Donnellan Mon, 08/26/2024 - 12:39

Fourteen local high school students from six school districts spent a week in August delving into renewable energy engineering at ��AV’s Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp, held at Mason Square. Liling Huang, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and Dominion Energy Faculty Fellow, led the camp sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS) from August 5 to 9.

Students learn about solar panels during the Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp. Photo courtesy of the Power Grid Lab.

Throughout the week, students engaged in activities designed to spark their interest in environmental stewardship and engineering excellence. The camp offered a mix of interactive sessions, hands-on labs, and group projects, all aimed at providing a foundational understanding of renewable energy engineering. Industry professionals from organizations such as Dominion Energy and the Solar Hands-On Instructional Network of Excellence (SHINE) contributed their expertise, giving students real-world insights into the energy sector.

The camp culminated in a two-part event on the final day. First, a panel of renewable energy professionals shared their experiences and advice with the campers. Panelists represented a broad spectrum of the industry, including AES Corporation, AWS, Dominion Energy, Hispanics in Energy, MPR Associates, Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC), and SHINE.

Students work on model town during the Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp. Photo courtesy of the Power Grid Lab.

"You all are choosing a field that's very exciting, and there's really an opportunity for you to have huge impact, whether it's here or abroad," said George Mason’s Liza Wilson Durant, Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement, addressing the campers as she introduced the panelists.

The panelists discussed the future energy landscape, the integration of renewable resources with traditional power grids, and the various career paths available in the power and energy sector. They also highlighted the importance of continuous learning and flexibility.

SHINE Executive Director David Peterson summed up his advice with a lyric by the Avett Brothers: “Decide what to be, and go be it.” He emphasized the importance of committing to a path without being overly concerned with immediate decisions. Nicholas Lee-Romagnolo, program lead of workforce and economic development at AWS, agreed, explaining that careers are more like jungle gyms than ladders: There are many different paths upward.

Industry panel closing GMU Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp. Photo courtesy of the Power Grid Lab.

Lee-Romagnolo also advised the campers to pay attention to the culture of their environment throughout their academic and professional careers.

“It's very difficult to change the culture that you go into. Often you as an individual change and become more like that culture, so be aware of and thoughtful about those groups that you enter into,” he explained, adding, “None of us learns or works individually, and the team that you choose will matter every single time.”

Following the panel, the students presented their main project—a model town powered entirely by renewable, clean energy. The model featured working offshore wind turbines and small solar panels that powered a lamp and fans inside the town's model houses and data centers. The students took on various roles in planning the town, addressing engineering, financial, regulatory, and social challenges. The model town was designed as a coastal Virginia community, with considerations for local population dynamics and environmental sustainability.

The campers expressed pride in their work, noting how much they had learned during the week. When asked who was planning to study energy engineering in the future, twelve of the fourteen students raised their hands.

CEC Dean Ken Ball with staff and campers of Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp. Photo by Bonnie Crews.

Dive deeper into Electrical and Computer Engineering

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Liling Huang

Liza Wilson Durant

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Electrical and Computer Engineering

High school students learn conflict resolution skills at annual Conflict Resolution Youth Summit

Colleen Rich — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 19:42:17 +0000

High school students learn conflict resolution skills at annual Conflict Resolution Youth Summit Colleen Rich Tue, 08/20/2024 - 15:42

��AV’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution hosted its largest group of high schoolers to date, 46, for its ninth annual Conflict Resolution Youth Summit in July.

The ninth annual Conflict Resolution Youth Summit included a trip to Washington, D.C. Photo provided

Students came to George Mason’s Fairfax Campus from as far as Massachusetts, Texas, and China to participate in the four-day summit, which included a day trip to Washington, D.C., and 15 skill-building workshops designed to explore and address the various dimensions of conflict through mediation, negotiation, and collaboration.

The summit began with a workshop by James Coan from “More Like Us,” an organization dedicated to spreading the message that that Americans are more similar across the political spectrum than people realize. This workshop, titled “Defining the Perception Gap,” was aimed at fostering political depolarization and focused on engaging participants in meaningful dialogue about the misperceptions surrounding different political ideologies.

Following this, participants moved into the Carter School's bridge-building activities, which further challenged their perceptions, teamwork, and communication skills. These activities were instrumental in strengthening the group dynamics and enhancing their effectiveness throughout the summit.

The first simulation, known as the Portlandia Project, was conducted by Ryen Middleton, a graduate student from ��AV’s College of Public Health. In this simulation, participants took on roles in a multi-stakeholder scenario addressing an environmental crisis affecting working-class communities, applying negotiation skills to meet diverse needs.

The Conflict Resolution Youth Summit saw its highest attendance ever this year. Photo provided

The simulation had a big impact on Olivia Ossa, a student at Thomas Worthington High School in Worthington, Ohio. “I loved the simulations,” Ossa said. “[The Portlandia Project] gave me the opportunity to experience negotiating and compromising, as well as getting a chance to play a crucial role in community building and forming connections with my teammates. I really enjoyed the Model UN vibes it gave and learned a lot from it!”

To illustrate the broad spectrum of conflict, the Carter School hosted two community artists. Sol O'Neill worked with participants to create two, 5-foot-tall Indigenous figures, symbolizing place and home for Virginia tribes, with influences from South American culture. Renowned artist and Mason Artist in Residence Abi Naanseh introduced participants to the traditional techniques of Arabic calligraphy through his mural "Mahaba and Salaam."

“Abi was fantastic. I learned a lot, and he was clearly very passionate about his work,” said Owen Simmons, from Osbourn Park High School in Manassas, Virginia.

On the final day, participants tackled the issue of human trafficking in collaboration with Freedom Connections, a group of Carter School students who work on issues surround human trafficking. They focused on identifying signs of trafficking and exploring resources to support affected individuals.

The summit concluded with the conflict capstone event, where participants applied their newly acquired skills to address issues identified by their peers. Their findings and solutions were presented to their families during the closing ceremony.

New for the summit this year, students were able to stay overnight in George Mason residence halls. This was important for the soon-to-be college-bound students, such as Eli Wike from Potomac Falls High School in Sterling. “My favorite part was probably getting to get a taste of college life through the experience,” Wike said.

Additional support for the summit was provided by George Mason’s Student Success Coaching, Facilities, and Mason Exhibitions.

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Summer Camps

FOCUS summer program marks a decade of engaging middle-school girls in STEM

Colleen Rich — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 20:36:39 +0000

FOCUS summer program marks a decade of engaging middle-school girls in STEM Colleen Rich Wed, 08/14/2024 - 16:36

��AV’s popular FOCUS outreach program marks its 10th anniversary this summer and continues to expand its science and tech immersion programs.

From left, FOCUS Camp founders Danielle Craddock, Kelly Knight, and Padmanabhan Seshaiyer with the 2024 campers. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

FOCUS stands for Females of Color and those Underrepresented in STEM, and when the camp is in session, the middle schoolers and their counselors can be seen moving around George Mason’s Fairfax Campus in their brightly colored t-shirts as they immerse themselves in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities from coding and building a robotic arm to viewing distant planets at the Observatory.

For the past decade, FOCUS Camp day programs have invited rising sixth- through eighth-graders to participate in interactive and hands-on workshops. The first year brought 18 girls to campus, with support from donors including the Business Women’s Giving Circle of the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia. Since then, the program has served more than 460 campers—filling to capacity each year within hours of opening admission.

The program’s founders include George Mason mathematics professor Padmanabhan Seshaiyer, forensic science professor Kelly Knight, former biology professor Claudette Davis, and George Mason alumna Danielle Craddock, MAIS ’11, the founder of Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead Inc. (GIRL). Knight now leads planning efforts on behalf of the College of Science’s STEM Accelerator Program and has remained steadfast in the FOCUS mission to introduce young women of color to STEM fields and nurture their scientific curiosities.

“We always assess participants the day they begin camp and the day they leave, and it’s truly rewarding to see how much their interest in STEM spikes,” Knight said. “On average, interest rises about 30%, which is huge.”

Professor Karen Sauer and Kelly Knight work with campers to create their own spectrometers. Photo by Eduardo Macedo/Office of University Branding

With the program’s success and an interest from camp alumni wanting to return, organizers expanded in 2018 to also offer the George Mason College of Science FOCUS Academy—a more advanced and immersive college experience for high school students that further expands STEM topics and incorporates college prep, goal setting, and other classes designed to build their confidence, enhance their leadership skills, and support their social and physical wellness. These workshops cover forensic science, chemistry, bioinformatics, mathematics, and astronomy, which also happen to be areas of specialization for George Mason.

“I’ve had participants tell me that being around other young girls of color affected the way they felt about attending a STEM program and helped them feel more comfortable when participating,” said Knight. “It helps them gain the skills and confidence they need when they move on to less inclusive spaces, to know that they can be successful.”

And it’s not only the FOCUS attendees who feel the impact. Knight said the George Mason undergraduate students who serve as counselors feel it too. Some have moved on to teaching careers in STEM subjects, while others have launched their own nonprofits for young girls in STEM.

George Mason alumna Jade Kirkland said the FOCUS camp is the highlight of her summer. Kirkland had just finished her first year at George Mason as a forensic science major when she received the email about volunteering at FOCUS. Since then, she’s graduated from George Mason with both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forensic science and now works in a biotechnology lab in Manassas, Virginia. She said she saves her personal time off each year so she can take one week off to come back to George Mason to serve as a FOCUS counselor.

“What brings me back every year is the fact that I get to have an impact on these girls at a young age and let them know that STEM isn’t just for the boys,” said Kirkland, who has worked as a FOCUS counselor since the beginning. “It’s something I didn’t have when I was that age.”

As a FOCUS counselor, Kirkland makes sure each camp participant gets as much out of the week as possible. That includes answering questions in workshops, sharing her own experiences as a forensic scientist, guiding them across the college campus, and ensuring a safe space for them to learn.

FOCUS participants viewed microfossils under a microscope and learned how they are used to investigate past climates and reconstruct ancient ocean conditions. Photo by Eduardo Macedo/Office of University Branding

“I have as much fun participating in the activities as they do, and it’s amazing to watch how they think through things,” said Kirkland, describing a lab she and the campers participated in last year to explore chemistry topics. Each made their own small bottle of perfume. “I get a new perspective of STEM every year through these girls, and it makes me fall in love with science all over again.”

In 2021, the program expanded further to offer FOCUS MOST, led by Seshaiyer, a professional development program for K-12 STEM teachers that encourages the design of STEM workshops for camp participants that can then be brought back to their schools.

“It’s not just the 50 girls coming each summer who are impacted,” said Knight. “It’s these teachers who are now taking methods back to their own schools. Along with the counselors mentoring these young girls who choose to continue to work even after they leave George Mason.”

So, what comes next? Knight said that there is still work to be done. While efforts to increase an interest in STEM for middle school and high school students have been effective, she said more needs to happen to influence representation at the college and early-career levels.

“We need to expand the ecosystem of support for students so that they can continue to thrive in STEM even when they’re in college or at the professional level,” she said. “We’re not seeing enough change in the numbers because there’s not enough support once students approach graduation and enter the workforce.”

The next FOCUS program expansion will consider ways to support women of color at the college level as they navigate the STEM fields and choose what they want to do after they graduate. And Knight said she also wants to extend the program’s reach.

“Thinking bigger about what it means to have impact on not just students local to Virginia, but on a national and international level, I think is going be another next phase for us for sure.”

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SeaGlide Summer Camp ends swimmingly

Martha Bushong — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 13:58:56 +0000

SeaGlide Summer Camp ends swimmingly Martha Bushong Tue, 08/06/2024 - 09:58

Lap swimmers at the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center on ��AV's Science and Technology Campus shared the pool with some unusual visitors on Friday, July 25, as more than a dozen high school students tested their underwater gliders on the final day of the SeaGlide Summer Camp.

Splashdown! High school campers launch their maritime robots at the pool inside the Freedom Aquatics and Fitness Center. Photo by Ayman Rashid/Office of University Branding

The camp is supported by the National Science Foundation grant (NSF), BRITE Relaunch: Persistent and Accessible Maritime Monitoring (PAMM), which promotes STEM outreach activities in maritime robotics. College of Engineering and Computing Professor Leigh McCue started the camp a few years ago to help get high schoolers excited about STEM.

According to Kim Campbell, a parent of one of the high schoolers, the camp exceeded its goal. “This camp engages your child mentally and physically,” said Campbell. “I felt it resembled an abbreviated summer college course. The instructors were hands-on and made the course exciting. My child talked about the camp every day for a minimum of an hour after she departed.”

At the camp, students built an untethered underwater glider from a kit designed by RoboNation. The kit provides supplies and directions, but students can innovate and experiment with different designs. The kit includes a sports water bottle that forms the hull of the glider with material for wings that extend from the sides. The glider moves by changing its buoyancy, taking in or expelling water. making it sink and rise. As the glider travels up and down, its “wings” generate lift, which propels the glider forward. Different colored lights indicate the glider’s status as it rises, falls, and moves forward.

The high school students built their gliders from a kit and tested them in the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center pool. Photo by Ayman/Rashid/Office of University Branding

Graduate research assistant Vanessa Barth who works in McCue’s lab at the Potomac Science Center on fundamental research in maritime robotics supported by the NSF grant helped McCue coordinate and manage the camp activities. She said the students experimented through trial and error using pieces of a pool noodle or adding weights to achieve neutral buoyance with their gliders.

In the past, campers tested the devices in a four-foot-deep tank at George Mason’s Innovation Drive facilities, but this year McCue wanted to try something different, so she contacted the team at the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center, and they agreed. “I want to be sure to give a shout-out to them. They couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating,” said McCue.

In the pool, the gliders could move more freely, even if they didn’t always stay within the lane lines. Sometimes they drifted into the lanes of recreational swimmers, but McCue said everybody was understanding. Some even stopped to watch and ask questions. Though the grant ends soon, McCue hopes to keep the camp going and wants to continue the partnership with the aquatic center.

In This Story

Leigh McCue-Weil

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College of Engineering and Computing

National Science Foundation

Local high schoolers discover bioengineering at George Mason’s BioE Buzz Summer Camp

Teresa Donnellan — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 15:18:20 +0000

Local high schoolers discover bioengineering at George Mason’s BioE Buzz Summer Camp Teresa Donnellan Mon, 07/08/2024 - 11:18

A group of local rising high school juniors and seniors attended the BioE Buzz Summer Camp at ��AV in June. Organized by the Department of Bioengineering’s Internship Coordinator and Adjunct Professor Carolyn Wilson, the four-day camp introduced campers to the discipline’s applications in solving medical problems.

Research Assistant Professor David Lemonnier works with a student. Photo by Eduardo Macedo/Office of University Branding

Throughout the week, campers met graduate and undergraduate students and faculty, received tours of George Mason's state-of-the-art research facilities and the Fairfax Campus, and participated in lab activities led by faculty on such topics as molecular biology, nanotechnology, neuroscience, ultrasound technology, and community-engaged design.

Hands-on experiences allowed students to apply their knowledge and develop their interests in practical settings.

One activity, led by Associate Professor Remi Veneziano and doctoral student Dylan Scarton, introduced the campers to DNA origami through a lab that involved gel electrophoresis.

Doctoral student Zahra Taghizadeh led an activity about muscle movement. Photo by Eduardo Macedo/Office of University Branding

In addition, the students learned some basics about sterile technique and gained hands-on experience in cell culture during an activity led by doctoral student Bryce Dunn.

Another activity, led by postdoctoral researcher J. Jesus Hernandez-Perez, involved using computer simulation of neuromuscular junctions.

Shirin Movaghgharnezhad, an assistant research professor, led an activity where students could activate and record muscle movement on each other.

Doctoral student Erica King led an activity that involved using ultrasound and force plate technology to visualize muscles in the body.

Master's student Gavin Smiga leads virtual reality activity. Photo by Eduardo Macedo/Office of University Branding

Research Assistant Professor Samuel Acuna and Professor Siddhartha Sikdar led another activity in the Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions (CASBBI). In addition to introducing the students to methods that measure brain rhythms, the pair demonstrated and had the students interact with a former undergraduate team’s senior design project, a virtual reality system for physical therapy.

By participating in the BioE-Buzz Summer Camp at George Mason, campers not only improved their understanding of bioengineering and their familiarity with George Mason but also developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

An exceptional opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to immerse themselves in the world of bioengineering, the BioE Buzz Summer Camp is planned to recur in summer 2025.

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Around Mason: Summer Camps Takeover

Sarah Holland — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 13:43:20 +0000

Around Mason: Summer Camps Takeover Sarah Holland Wed, 08/09/2023 - 09:43

Summer goes by fast—whether you’re a kid, or a kid at heart. The K-12 students who attended camps and youth programs at Mason this year filled those fleeting summer days with memories. With many camp options—including music, arts, recreation, sports, science, and space, just to name a few—these kids got to experience life in the Mason Nation at an early age. And we couldn’t be happier to host them. Here are some snapshots from their summer to remember.

CONS 100: Introduction to Field Conservation, Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

Photo by Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

The Introduction to Field Conservation Ecology program at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC) offers high schoolers hands-on experience in research field methods, with an emphasis on developing observational skills. Participants also earn college credit.

Many decades ago, the land that now makes up the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute functioned as a U.S. Army remount—a space used to provide exercise to horses. Racetrack Hill now serves as the site for many SMSC field activities, as well as recreation. During the first night of the program, high school students got to take in fantastic views, knowing that they would be returning many times in the coming days for hands-on conservation activities. See more photos.

Interstellar Dreams Space Center, College of Science

Photo provided

At the Interstellar Dreams Space Center at Mason's Fairfax Campus, middle schoolers took on roles as "mission specialists" to plan a lunar space station. The mission specialists made their own websites, learned to program a micro-controller to control electronics hardware and blink morse code with a light, learned about space, physics, astronomy, and more.

Campers also checked out various telescopes at the Mason Observatory—including the second largest on-campus optical telescope on the East Coast. The week culminated with a "press conference" attended by VIPs and families, where campers presented their lunar space station design.

Conflict Resolution Youth Summit, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Photo by Ayman Rashid/Office of University Branding

The Conflict Resolution Youth Summit, hosted by the Carter School, explores some of today's toughest problems through the lens of peace and conflict resolution. Through simulations, workshops and facilitated discussions, high schoolers delved into important conflicts and practiced the processes of promoting peace. Participants came away with new knowledge about global conflicts, social justice, peacebuilding, and collaborative leadership.

Mason Summer Band Camp, Mason Community Arts Academy

Photo provided

This summer, Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA) kicked off the first-ever Mason Summer Band Camp. More than 100 students participated in the program led by faculty from the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music and the Green Machine.

Gold Star Volleyball Camp

Photo provided

George Mason Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Megan Shifflett Bachmann and other Mason volleyball staff hosted Gold Star Volleyball Camp on the Fairfax Campus. The camp emphasized the development of players of all levels to become more skilled and competitive athletes.

WGMU Podcasting and Radio Camp, WGMU

Photo provided

WGMU’S Summer Podcast and Radio Camp provided campers with training in a professional radio environment. Students had a chance to produce podcasts and be deejays, playing music over the WGMU radio station. Campers also learned from broadcast professionals how to write, edit, and produce podcasts, live DJ shows, commercials, promos, and public service announcements.

Tony Skinn Basketball Camps

Photo provided

Mason Men’s Basketball Head Coach Tony Skinn hosted two weeks of basketball camps at the Fairfax Campus. Boys and girls ages 7–14 learned about the game from Skinn, who was a two-time all-conference guard with the Patriots from 2003-06 and competed in the Final Four with the Patriots in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program, College of Science

Photo by ASSIP Intern Team

The nationally known Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) provides transformative research opportunities for high school and undergraduate students. Selected participants work one-on-one with faculty researchers at ��AV and collaborating institutions using state-of-the-art technology across many disciplines. This summer’s ASSIP program welcomed a record 266 students, including 195 who participated in person. The program is open to high school students and Mason undergraduates.

Washington Journalism and Media Conference

Photo by Rafael Suanes/Washington Journalism and Media Conference

The Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) is an interactive, youth leadership program hosted on Fairfax Campus that provides highly engaged, high-performing high school students with a unique experience exploring careers in the areas of journalism, media, and related fields. Students experience an integrated and forward-thinking approach to journalism and media while acquiring valuable “in-the-trenches” knowledge through hands-on learning with industry leaders, award-winning journalists, international media outlets, and Washington insiders.

Learn more about Summer Camps at Mason

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Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Mason Community Arts Academy

WGMU

Washington Journalism and Media Conference

Faculty and Staff News

Around Mason (E-Files)

Maritime robotics summer camps move young minds toward a future in STEM

Tama Moni — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 19:40:51 +0000

Maritime robotics summer camps move young minds toward a future in STEM Tama Moni Fri, 08/12/2022 - 15:40

In This Story

Leigh McCue-Weil

Middle and high school students rolled up their sleeves and got their hands wet at ��AV’s first SeaPerch and SeaGlide summer camps. Leigh McCue-Weil, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, hosted the camp, with support from graduate assistant Vanessa Barth, and lab technician and shop manager Johnnie Hall. For the first two weeks in August, students built and tested these maritime robotic vehicles at the Innovative Drive shop and lab facilities located near Mason’s SciTech campus.

Vanessa Barth, a PhD student studying mechanical engineering, helped McCue manage the camp activities. Barth works in McCue’s lab at the Potomac Science Center on fundamental research in maritime robotics, supported by the NSF grant. Barth said the students learned how to build SeaPerch remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, cut and drilled to form the vehicle, with a control box that the students soldered and assembled. Then the students placed them in large and small water tanks. For SeaPerch, campers used remote controls that resemble video game controllers that connect to the ROVs through a long cable. Students learned about buoyancy by trying to keep their devices afloat on the surface of the water tanks.

“I do not think they really struggled with understanding. They got better by watching and doing,” Barth said about the students grasping the concepts of the projects they built. “At the end of each day, it was really cool to see that they accomplished something.”

McCue said she started the camps so that robotics and engineering are accessible to students and so they gain self-confidence. She said the students get to use power tools for the first time and become excited about learning robotics. “The SeaPerch kit is really well designed for the middle school age group; and similarly, the SeaGlide, which is an untethered underwater glider, is a great challenge for the high schoolers.”

The camp is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, “BRITE Relaunch: Persistent and Accessible Maritime Monitoring (PAMM)" which supports STEM outreach activities in maritime robotics. For the NSF-funded project holistically, McCue said “We’re trying to build platforms that help people conduct fundamental science.” She said ROVs can be used for data collection, research, and environmental monitoring.

Within the camp, McCue said the students have been learning and working hard and it delights her to see the students’ faces light up when they complete the project. She gave thanks to both NSF support and support from multiple offices within the College of Engineering and Computing, which offered free camps for the students.

McCue said she hopes opportunities like these get students excited about STEM. “Engineering is really broad and there’s something for everyone.”

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STEM learning

robotics

Summer Camps

mechanical engineering

Summer Saturdays Spark Interest in STEM

Tama Moni — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 18:17:35 +0000

Summer Saturdays Spark Interest in STEM Tama Moni Wed, 08/03/2022 - 14:17

Elementary school students operating a drone with a controller.

The Nguyen Engineering Building buzzed with activity on Saturday mornings throughout the month of July as the Office of Diversity and Inclusive Learning hosted 200 elementary, middle, and high school students for STEM Summer Saturdays.

“It was exciting to see so many kids here at the college. We hope the experience sparked an interest in STEM that will continue throughout their school year, and we see some of them again next year,” says Mercadi Crawford, diversity associate for the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC).

The students learned about flying drones, forensic science and entrepreneurship, statistics, career pathways and preparing for college. College of Engineering and Computing faculty and staff volunteered to make the experience both enjoyable and educational. Student mentors and orientation leaders were also on hand to help.

Parents said their children raved about the program were grateful for the opportunity to explore STEM careers, see possibilities, and focus on abilities. They came home excited to research careers in fields such as forensic toxicology and other areas they might not have otherwise known about. Many parents look forward to seeing the program again next year.

“The support from our partners in the College of Science, the National Society of Black Engineers, STEAM Pipelines, The Abacus Project and the Department of Statistics was spectacular,” says Christi Wilcox, CEC diversity associate. “We are so thankful for their contributions.”

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STEM

Summer Camps

College of Engineering and Computing

College of Science

diversity

Local Summer Camps and Activities

Lauren Reuscher — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 04:20:00 +0000

Local Summer Camps and Activities Lauren Reuscher Sun, 04/07/2019 - 00:20

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Faculty/Staff Announcements

Summer Camps

Gold Star Volleyball Camps

Lauren Reuscher — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 04:05:00 +0000

Gold Star Volleyball Camps Lauren Reuscher Sun, 04/07/2019 - 00:05

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Faculty/Staff Announcements

Summer Camps

Summer Camps

High schoolers explore renewable energy engineering at Mason Square summer camp

Dive deeper into Electrical and Computer Engineering

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High school students learn conflict resolution skills at annual Conflict Resolution Youth Summit

Make a difference at the Carter School

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FOCUS summer program marks a decade of engaging middle-school girls in STEM

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SeaGlide Summer Camp ends swimmingly

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Local high schoolers discover bioengineering at George Mason’s BioE Buzz Summer Camp

Join the Mason Nation

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Around Mason: Summer Camps Takeover

CONS 100: Introduction to Field Conservation, Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

Interstellar Dreams Space Center, College of Science

Conflict Resolution Youth Summit, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Mason Summer Band Camp, Mason Community Arts Academy

Gold Star Volleyball Camp

WGMU Podcasting and Radio Camp, WGMU

Tony Skinn Basketball Camps

Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program, College of Science

Washington Journalism and Media Conference

Learn more about Summer Camps at Mason

More from Around Mason

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Maritime robotics summer camps move young minds toward a future in STEM

In This Story

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Summer Saturdays Spark Interest in STEM

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Local Summer Camps and Activities

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Gold Star Volleyball Camps

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