STEM Connections provides central North Carolina students with summer science programming
By NIA FREEMAN
CHAPEL HILL, NC (August 23, 2024) – STEM Connections, a new summer initiative from Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, brought free programming to 13 youth-serving organizations this summer, helping students in central North Carolina develop a love for science, technology, engineering, and math.
As a part of Morehead’s Science for All mission, STEM Connections is made possible with funding from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust. This new initiative proudly supported over 500 students from marginalized and underrepresented communities with activities ranging from off-site lessons to onsite Morehead summer science camps.
For Joanna Burke, Morehead’s Youth and Family Programs Lead Coordinator, the STEM Connections program is about helping students make discoveries, share ideas, and become more confident in the classroom.
“The goal is always for [participants] to have fun and leave feeling empowered about themselves and what they’re capable of,” Burke said.
Throughout the summer, Morehead educators traveled to organizations across seven counties for week-long, interactive sessions. With a grade-appropriate astronomy lesson, students modeled star formation, created their own moons, used chemical reactions to simulate the creation of iron oxide on Mars, and more. In addition, organizations were invited to attend a week of Morehead camps on the science of magic, healthcare, and astronomy.
While STEM Connections keeps Morehead connected and rooted in central North Carolina communities, the largest impact of the program can be seen in its participants. By providing youth development resources, Morehead hopes to give students access to new opportunities and inspire the next generation of STEM leaders.
“What we’re doing with science is geared more to the kid’s lived experiences and having them see how science is something that impacts or could impact their communities,” Burke said. “We’re starting to think more about how we can take these broad-stroke scientific ideas and then apply it to something that really resonates with [the participants] personally.”
With the first year of STEM Connections completed in early August, Morehead is already looking at ways to broaden the impact of our outreach programming and continuously enhance the quality of our STEM education. To learn more about our offerings and Science for All mission, we invite you to visit our Commitment to Access and Programs pages.