*Disclaimer: This story was originally published on July 26, 2017. Check for updates.*
By Stefan Oliva SYRACUSE (NCC News) – The AT&T CNY STEM Hub Summer Camp for Young Women is back for its second year in Syracuse. The camp for high school girls started today and is being hosted by Le Moyne College’s science center for the rest of the week.
The camp director, Meriel Stokoe, however, wants the girls to take in more than STEM related activities. “For me, it’s not also just about STEM, it’s about the whole camp experience. It’s about meeting new people,” she said.
The camp has activities that exposes the girls to all aspects of STEM. Throughout the week, they will be doing things like touring the Syracuse Air Traffic Control at the airport, learning about computer coding and building drones and flying them.
There are also several guest speakers, all female, slated to talk to the girls about their careers in their respective STEM fields. With that in mind, Stokoe wants the participants to pursue higher education. “Many of the girls will be hopefully going to college in the next few years, so this is kind of giving them a feel of what it’s like to be on a college campus,” Stokoe said.
Since the camp is funded by AT&T, it is free for all the girls. Last year, the camp made a concentrated effort to have at least half of their 30 participants come from at-risk backgrounds. Stokoe also emphasized diversity. “I think when people come from different cultures, different backgrounds, there’s always a lot to offer,” she said. “I don’t think that even matters whether it’s just STEM or in general.”
Listen to the re-recorded audio story here: (c) Stefan Oliva 2020