The best way to really understand STEM is to do it. That is what dozens of students learned this summer during immersive STEM camps at Belmont University. Students explored advanced mathematics, video game programming, engineering and model building, neuroscience, and data science through projects and experimentation. The Belmont STEM pre-college camps are developed and taught by faculty within the Belmont College of Sciences and Mathematics (CSM).
“We really enjoy sparking excitement and passion for exploration with high schoolers! While teaching our college students is yearly drive, over the summer, it is rewarding to interact with bourgeoning thinkers and problem solvers as they are exploring the STEM field,” states Dr. Beth Bowman, the Director of Belmont’s College of Sciences and Mathematics Summer STEM Camps. “Many students get to learn about science and mathematical theories in school and we get to extend that incredible education through a college setting over the summer.”
About STEM camps at Belmont University
By digging deep into a topic with other students, participants also previewed the excitement of meeting other students with similar interests.
As one participant put it “I learned that the world of stem isn’t as scary and serious as many make it out to be. This entire course confirmed that I made the right choice in what I want to do and that I’ve found my people.”
Many students are excited to bring this excitement back to their school to develop their STEM community there too. “I feel more inspired to create more video games and plan to bring this knowledge to my school by creating a video game development club” said a student in the Gaming Design and Programming camp.
The experimentation did not stop with science. Participants were also given the opportunity to explore their college goals. Through a college tour and admissions talk, students learned about different values and gained a perspective on what they should consider in their college search.
“Each student will have their own ideas about what they want from college, but exploring a campus deeply through a high school experience helps each define their own objectives”, states Bowman.
When a Nashvillian might be more likely to think “music” when they hear about Belmont, these camps highlight the strength of Belmont’s science education. Dr. Bowman explained, “we are excited to expand our camps next summer and are developing a camp provide high school students opportunities in healthcare and biology.”
Sign up to learn about STEM camps in future years at Belmont here.
For more information on STEM camps at Belmont University, visit belmont.edu/science-math/summer-programs/camps.html or find them on Facebook here.
