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DENVER — Metropolitan State University of Denver hosted a series of day camps for middle school students at the start of the summer as part of the MSU Summer Science Institute.
A variety of daily programs were offered throughout the month of June, with the goal of working with students to foster a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) identity and help them retain what they learned in previous years.
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“Research shows that students who have a strong STEM identity tend to stay in the field longer,” says Linda Sivertson, program development manager at the Center for Advanced STEM Education, “because they internalize it and learn how to overcome challenges they might face in graduate school, the workplace or other fields.”
There remains a need to get students interested in STEM so they can meet expanding opportunities in the future workforce.
“There are a lot of employers here in Colorado looking for those skill sets,” Sivertson said.
This isn’t just an opportunity for middle schoolers taking part in the Summer Science Institute. For Michigan State University students like Ramsey Reichardt, it’s a chance to familiarize themselves with the teaching profession they hope to pursue after graduation.
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“I love the kids,” Reichardt said, “They’re really funny, they’re really amazing. When they’re passionate about something, their creativity also makes me really happy. Today… there were a lot of different rocket designs.”
Students learned the basics of rocket science using plastic bottles, hot glue, water and air pressure. Other days included anatomy, physiology, microscopy and other science subjects that allowed students to get hands-on.
“Students get to be exposed to different types of science, which is really cool,” Reichardt said. “Science as a whole can be kind of intimidating, but if they like this side of science, they can help students understand that side, which I think is great.”
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