BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – A popular STEM education camp is returning to the Beckley area this summer.
Hosted by WVU Tech, Camp STEM has the goal of helping students explore various educational outlets, including things like robotics and chemistry.
“Essentially we try to increase passions and interest levels in STEM fields, and also we try to give students opportunities to see professionals in those fields,” said Camp STEM Coordinator Dr. Nathan Galinsky.
Camp STEM is typically hosted on the WVU Tech campus every year, but it was unfortunately canceled last year due to the pandemic, and they are excited to bring it back for this summer. However, some things will be different.
Typically the camp is offered to students across the state, and students stay on the campus all week long. Instead, this year’s camp will be for Raleigh County high school students only, and students will need to commute back to the campus each morning for the duration of the camp.
“With COVID, we’ve had to structure it a little bit differently than normal.”
The camp is also sponsored by various local companies, including Dow Chemical in Charleston, which is supplying materials for the camp’s various science experiments.
And while much of the camp will be held indoors with social distancing guidelines, WVU Tech is planning as many outdoor activities as well, to give students a break from being cooped up inside
“We’ll be following all the in-person guidelines. We will be encouraging outdoor activities, though.”
Applications are still open for Raleigh County High School Students, including those who are homeschooled or go to private school, but if you’re interested you have to act fast, as the deadline to apply is this Friday, April 30th.
The Raleigh County Board of Education has also joined up with Camp STEM and is promising to cover the costs of enrollment for any public high school students interested in attending.
The camp will take place June 21-25. Those interested in enrolling can visit https://camps.wvutech.edu/ to find out more.