Middle school students from some of Colorado's most impoverished areas are getting a chance to discover a future that transcended worldly expectations.
3 photos 
Related Information
A total of 48 children from low-income families have been attending the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs summer science camp, which began Monday and ends on June 26.
The camp, funded in part by $80,000 from ExxonMobil and the Harris foundation, centers around engaging students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. This is UCCS's second year as one of 20 universities across the nation to host such a program this summer.
Students are spending their time grappling with issues that still plague plans for a Mars mission. How will astronauts' bodies fare during the trip? How will they feed themselves once they arrive? How will they return?
To address some of these questions, the students are tasked with creating experiments to find possible answers.
They created small hydroponic gardens, using household materials, to simulate how Mars researchers might create sustainable food sources. They also built miniature modules to study the shock of landing on the planet's surface.
Kelton Davis, a student from the tiny town of Pritchett - which, camp organizers said shows how effective the program is at drawing from diverse areas throughout the region - has enjoyed the way the camp is structured.
'I love how they put all the work into something fun,' he said.
While the curriculum is designed to be engaging, it is also designed to test the students' resolve.
'We want them to fail so we can build them up,' said Kathleen Fitzpatrick, programs manager for UCCS's Center for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (STEM).
Dave Khaliqi, the university's director of the STEM center, touted the benefits of such training for students. According to Khaliqi, STEM training provides students invaluable communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills.
'Engaging in STEM makes them a better student,' Khaliqi said.
Khaliqi, who also heads the university's Partnership in Innovative Preparation for Educators & Students research program, said even if students choose a career outside of a STEM field, the training and skills learned will prove invaluable in their future.
Jennifer Hornemann, a senior facilities engineer for ExxonMobil, was also on hand to expand student's interest in science. Hornemann, who has a doctorate in chemical engineering, credited her career path to a similar science event she attended in middle school.
'If you don't make those decisions when you're young, you don't have those math and science skills later,' she said.
More than 80 percent of the camp's students attending are below the poverty line said Fitzpatrick. She and Khaliki feel by encouraging impoverished students, they can return home to improve their local economies and their communities.
'That's our department's focus,' Kahliqi said. 'Bridging the gap between worlds.'
Entities 0 Name: Khaliqi Count: 3 1 Name: UCCS Count: 2 2 Name: ExxonMobil Count: 2 3 Name: Center for Science Count: 1 4 Name: Dave Khaliqi Count: 1 5 Name: Kahliqi Count: 1 6 Name: Colorado Count: 1 7 Name: Pritchett Count: 1 8 Name: Fitzpatrick Count: 1 9 Name: Jennifer Hornemann Count: 1 10 Name: University of Colorado Count: 1 11 Name: Harris Count: 1 12 Name: Kathleen Fitzpatrick Count: 1 13 Name: Colorado Springs Count: 1 14 Name: Khaliki Count: 1 15 Name: Mathematics Education Count: 1 16 Name: Kelton Davis Count: 1 17 Name: Hornemann Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1oOdyhp Title: Squarespace Ambassador Program Description: Squarespace believes in giving our customers a voice online, allowing them to create a unique presence that broadcasts their ideas, and connects them to the world. We recognize that creating a digital footprint is particularly important for students preparing to enter the workplace.
Post a Comment for "UCCS camp fuels kids' passion for science"