High School Students Complete STEM Academy

Students from six area high schools participated in East Central College’s second annual STEM Scholars Academy June 20-24.

The Academy gave students the opportunity to work with ECC faculty on activities related to science, technology, engineering and math.

“We touched on a variety of topics each day,” noted Fatemeh Nichols, chair of ECC’s science and engineering division.  “First we covered lab safety, college success and scientific methods.  Then the students moved on to activities in physics, engineering, ecology, microbial biotechnology, programming and physiology.  Engineering, physics and computer science were new topics to the STEM Academy this year.” The students selected an ECC instructor who will serve as their mentor as they work on a STEM related project during the upcoming school year.

“I was pleased with the willingness of the students to challenge themselves in the activities,” Nichols  stated.  “During the physics session they were apprehensive about the math, but an hour later they were designing and building bridges. The interest and determination of these students really makes me excited about future generations going into STEM fields.”

Participating students included: Calista LeBrell – Hermann High School; Kallista Stubblefield – New Haven High School; Jacob Hawkins, Jacob Jungbluth, Dillon Shadrick, and Trey Wideman – St. Clair High School; Alex Hanneken, Owen Karl, Clarissa Krimmel, Cole Parsons, and Lucas Pyatt – Union High School; Jonathan Mitchell – Warrenton High School; and Rachel Bauche and Trent Althen – Washington High School.

Nichols plans to offer the Academy next year to a new group of students who will be entering their sophomore or junior year in the fall of 2017.