There isn’t always agreement over how much sense it makes in today’s world to have a summer break from school and more and more schools are turning to a year-round model with shorter breaks throughout the year. Whether you support summer vacations or not, there’s plenty of evidence that kids can lose valuable skills when not challenged over the summer months.
That’s where incredible STEM-based programs come in. We ran across a very inspiring article in The River City News titled Summer of STEM Aims to Keep Kids Learning Over School Break that could inspire anyone.
The author writes, “This summer’s 17-year cicada hum will be drowned out by the shrieks of discovery, the pure delight and joy as children of all ages and walks of life from the Cincinnati region participate in summer camps, activities and classes during the Summer of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) that combats brain drain with active, engaged learning.
While many offerings are highly developed by longtime STEM-focused organizations, the collaboration and network Summer of STEM (SOS) ties together is new.
ArtsWave’s Kintner was grateful her organization, the nation’s largest and oldest community arts campaign, had the technology to enable a joint listing of arts and STEM activities. “The efficiency of that platform,” according to Kintner, “enabled cincyartsandstem.org and a richer, more comprehensive tool.” The unusual pairing of art and STEM “gives kids new access points and the chance for STEM educators and parents to see arts opportunities at the same time,” Kintner said.
“As Cincinnati becomes a hotbed for the maker movement, start-ups, entrepreneurial culture and tech support, it’s really important that our century-old arts institutions are not relegated to or stuck in the past in actuality or public perception. One way to ensure the cutting edge is to be closely aligned with the new future and the new economy. Cincyartsandstem.org is one manifestation of that vision.”
“Because there’s so much design work in engineering and everything has a creative bent, we don’t want to limit these kids,” Kelley said. “Whether it’s ballet or biology camp, they can find resources in the same place.”
“Our highest order for Summer of STEM is to keep kids engaged in a natural asset: a giant, outdoor science lab,” said Mary Adams, GCSC program manager and former Procter & Gamble (P&G) executive. Uniting education and business partners, non-profit organizer GCSC opens STEM educational and career possibilities to meet the accelerating regional demand.”
At CodeREV we’ve been well aware for years that STEM-based summer camps can have a huge and lasting impact. We’re always glad to see other areas of the country embracing the evidence. Are you curious about after-school or summer camp options in the Los Angeles area and beyond? Contact us today!