By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
Some Coosa County youth have had a fun and educational summer so far, enjoying a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Summer Camp.
The Coosa County Extension collaborated with the Goodwater Youth Development and Recreational Center’s Youth Summer Camp, Coosa Riverkeeper, 4-H, Auburn University’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, Cleburne County Extension Director Stephen Faughn, and the Alabama A&M Extension Mobile STEM Lab for a variety of activities and interactions for youth during Summer Camp.
With Coosa Riverkeeper, 4-H and Auburn’s EFNEP the youth had an interactive day of learning about Coosa County’s waterways. Students also played games, had the opportunity to use a microscope and had fun coloring in activity books to go with the lesson.
Another lesson was on good citizenship, which is a core value of STEM work. Coosa County Extension Director Dr. Shannon Davis said that students made “warm fuzzies” with a special note to give to a family member or friend.
On another day of STEM Summer Camp, youth learned about habitats. The lesson included students sculpting their own “critters” from clay, and the following day they built their habitats.
To wrap up Summer Camp’s STEM week, students participated in a reptile show where they got to see a variety of reptiles up close. The reptile show was hosted by Cleburne Extension Director Faughn and included identifying different animal and bird calls, as well as pelts and skulls.
Additionally, Summer Camp students were able to participate in an interactive STEM learning activity where they had the opportunity to code and program their own miniature robot thanks to Alabama A&M Extension’s Mobile STEM Lab.
The Summer Camp helped demonstrate that students can have fun while still learning, even over summer break.
