CULLMAN, Ala. – It might be summer break, but that doesn’t mean learning has to slow down across Cullman City Schools. More than 100 students are spending the back half of July experimenting and building all sorts of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) projects at the East Elementary School campus as part of the annual Summer STEM Camp, a partnership between Cullman City Schools and Cullman City Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism.
The camp continues to grow year after year, with 130 students attending this year — in addition to a waiting list of students in case a few spots happen to open up. The camp is offered to students who have completed grades 1-8, and provides an opportunity to participate with hands-on learning and exploration of STEM concepts. Students will also be given time each day to work in the outdoor classroom, building teamwork skills, critical thinking and creative design.
Activities for students include a marble run to learn more about structures, harvesting crops in the outdoor classroom and garden on campus, building balloon-powered cars, performing experiments to learn more about the weather, building rubber band paddle boats, creating s’mores with a solar oven, building baking soda volcanoes and creating pinhole cameras to learn about physics and more.
“STEM camp is great for students who don’t always enjoy the traditional classroom setting,” teacher Lacy Cameron explained. “It offers hands-on experiences where students can showcase their creative side. STEM fosters critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork. It also piques students’ interest in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.”
