On July 22nd and 24th, the Summer STEM Enrichment Program took over Capital City’s Instagram page to give followers a glimpse into how middle school students got to virtually immerse themselves in the world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math! During this 5-week summer program, students received daily instruction, tackled challenging assignments, and completed virtual fieldwork in order to build the skills and background knowledge necessary to explore a future in STEM.
See the program in action in these Instagram posts!
Social-emotional learning and community building continues to be an important aspect of our curriculum. The first post of this two-part takeover introduced followers to an opening circle where students got to respond to breakout group prompts provided by their STEM Leaders.
Our teachers facilitate relevant instruction that ensures all students succeed and get the most out of their classes. Meet the hard-working individuals who led the STEM program in the second post. You can also see our 6th graders convert percentages into decimals!
What is a wind turbine? In this post, 7th and 8th grade students shared and discussed their wind turbine research investigation!
Just because it is virtual, it doesn't mean project-based, hands-on learning has to stop! See how 6th graders assembled a wind turbine after learning their pros and cons.
"To create the windmill we had to put in the wires, connect a lot of things, follow directions from the book. It took me 15 - 30 minutes to make it work. It's kind of like having a test. It was my favorite part of the program because it was fun and relaxing at the same time," shared Jomayra, rising 6th grader.
Our Literacy instructors connect students to historical and current event issues so they can become aware of social injustices happening around them. In Engineering, our students learned about the process of constructing prosthetic arms!
Part II of the takeover focused on virtual fieldwork and the different classes and authentic hands-on projects students engaged in throughout the week.
From using engineering software to create prosthetic arms to constructing wind turbines in science class, students had a busy week putting their learning into practice. Here’s a photo recap of the projects they did!
Fridays are for fieldwork in the STEM Enrichment Program. Before starting virtual fieldwork, students had to select an activity that would prepare them for the day.
Let the race begin! Student-led teams completed activities that allowed them to communicate and collaborate effectively in order to prepare them for a future in STEM.
Closing the circle together. To conclude fieldwork day and the week, the STEM community came together to celebrate student achievements. Students are recognized and praised for their participation and leadership during the week.
"I am happy I am able to do technology, engineering, math and science this summer," said Jomayra. "I am more confident because I was a leader in a group with 6th-8th graders. Having to talk in front of everybody in the program helped me communicate better."
We are so proud of the amazing work our students aka future STEM leaders are doing this summer!