Students Learn STEM Skills At Germanna College Summer Camp

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VA — Hundreds of students gathered at Germanna Community College for a weeklong STEM-themed summer camp, sponsored by the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office. Students participated in activities that introduced them to the engineering process.

In total, 250 kids aged 7-14 participated in the summer camp. Participants were accompanied and instructed by current Germanna students and school resource officers from the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office.

One school resource officers was based in each classroom, while Germanna engineering students discussed how to look at designs with an eye towards engineering. The students, who were divided by age group, participated in an array of activities including building an unsinkable boat, designing a marshmallow catapult out of popsicle sticks, and testing the strength of a paper bridge.

Students were introduced to some of the engineering programs offered by Germanna Community College. Last September, Germanna received more than $600,000 from GO Virginia to establish a $1 million Tech Talent Pipeline Project. The project intends to train hundreds of students for high-demand careers in fields like information technology, computer science, and engineering.

Amy Henecke is the Dean of Professional and Technical Studies and Workforce Development at Germanna. She is also an associate professor. "Working with students through this summer camp is the first step in introducing the next generation of engineering students into our pipeline," Henecke said.

The pipeline will create programs at Germanna Community College related to engineering and other STEM fields for middle school students and high school students.

The project was partially funded by GO Virginia, a state-funded initiative administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development that focuses on diversifying the state's economy and creating high-wage jobs.

William Beale is the Chairman of the GO Virginia Region 6 Council. "It has been shown that engaging students in early childhood to engineering activities helps them think of these careers later in life," Beale said.

Germanna will begin hosting more classes for the pipeline project this fall, the college said.