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Robots, miniature park rides created at STEM event

First graders play with LEGOs and construct buildings during STEM camp with the Putnam County School District last week
Zed Crowley, a fifth-grader, wears a brain-protective hat he made during STEM camp.
Will Coleman, a sixth grader, shows off the robot he learned how to code at STEM Camp to a crowd of fellow students alongside Counselor Felix Gardner.
Students who attended Putnam County School District’s STEM camp stand together for a picture with teachers and counselors.
Positively Putnam FL

By Kirk Collier

Special to the Daily News

At a time when their peers were diving into swimming pools, some elementary school students dove into designing and building robots, amusement park rides and rockets.

The activities, part of the Putnam County School District’s Elementary School Hacking STEM Summer Camp, included designing and building robots, helmets to prevent and minimize brain injuries, and amusement park rides.

STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering and math.

“At its core, STEM is a teaching philosophy that integrates all four disciplines together into a single, cross-disciplinary program that offers instruction in real-world (situations) as opposed to purely academic applications and teaching methods,” said Mike Helms, STEM specialist. “The goal of the district’s STEM initiative is to provide every student with opportunities to succeed while preparing for careers that are relevant to today’s job market.”

Students also created self-portraits from items gathered during a nature walk and learned the science behind making ice cream and tie-dyed shirts.

One activity had students designing and creating helmets to protect areas of the brain from injuries. Another had them building rockets and launching them 1,000 feet into the air.

More than 80 rising first through sixth grade students attended the free two-week camp July 5-9 and 19-23 at C.L. Overturf Jr. District Center in Palatka. Area high school students volunteered as camp counselors, helping the STEM instructors with activities and students.

“These students aren’t just learning about the STEM fields, but also about cooperating as part of a team and how to turn shared ideas into the best possible product as a result,” said Lorena Dominey, a STEM resource teacher who led the camp along with Helms.

“We are happy to offer STEM learning opportunities to our students,” said Melissa Coleman, executive director of Federal Programs and Instructional Acceleration.

“In addition to increasing STEM courses and activities on each campus, the district is growing its STEM Ecosystem with Northeast Florida STEM2 Hub and other partners to increase opportunities through innovative programming, including Microsoft Hacking STEM project-based lessons, LEGO Education curriculum, robotics, drones, WOZ Education curriculum, circuitry, advanced manufacturing, aeronautics, aerospace technology and web design.”