Full STEAM Ahead: Camps Offer Hands-on Learning for Girls
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The YWCA Mahoning Valley hosted summer camps in July that allowed girls in grades four through eight to experience drones, robotics, coding and more.
The camps took place at the YWCA’s Youngstown and Warren locations, in partnership with the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition, Oh Wow! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technology, OSU Extension and the office of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.
The Howland High School drone team held a presentation and demonstration for the campers, who also experienced drones with Mahoning County Career & Technical Center’s mobile STEM lab team. The girls learned how to fly the drones and even got to take one home.
Other activities included tours at Brite Energy Innovators and Penguin City Brewing; MVMC worksheets; creating blueprints; group challenges; soft skills building; and public speaking – which included a presentation for family and friends about what they learned.
“YWCA’s goal through the camps is to offer career exploration opportunities to middle school girls and expose them to STEAM and manufacturing fields that have lucrative options,” said Varada Bhide, chief operating officer of YWCA Mahoning Valley. “Through these unique hands-on learning experiences, design challenges and manufacturing plant visits, it provides the girls with a sneak peek of what a career in STEM or a manufacturing field will look like in the future.”
Oh Wow hosted a tour and led the coding concepts for the camp. Students then applied the knowledge to program drones to navigate a model city and design challenges. Organizers said they were impressed by the participants’ level of interest and engagement.
“Despite the age range, the girls picked up some pretty advanced knowledge on a niche, cutting-edge technological subject very quickly,” said Jacob Eisen, Oh Wow’s co-program coordinator of outreach. “Kids are capable of learning so much more than they’re often allowed to. It’s on us, as adults, to meet their potential.”
Allison Engstrom, MVMC project manager, said these camps are a highlight in the youth outreach mission.
“MVMC has been involved with [the Summer Manufacturing Institute] for several years. We love the collaboration with amazing partners in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, seeing students return year after year and the important focus on exposing young women to STEM. It’s truly something we look forward to each year.”
CREDIT: Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition.
Pictured at top: Photo via Facebook | YWCA Mahoning Valley.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
