Summer STEM Academy Held At SVCC

Published 3:28 pm Thursday, July 18, 2013

On June 17, the second annual summer STEM Academy was held at Southside Virginia Community College in Keysville. Nearly 100 students from Halifax and Charlotte County Public Schools participated in a four-day academy.

This year’s academy used problem-based learning to engage the students. They were presented with a real-life situation and working in teams of 8-10 students, each with specific roles and responsibilities, they had to use math, biology, urban planning, design, anatomy and CAD to present a solution. The students then presented to a panel of educators and experts from Halifax and Charlotte Public Schools. Judith Neller was the infectious disease expert on the panel.

The academy made use of the newest manufacturing technology, the Makerbot Replicator 2, a 3D printer. Teams had to design and produce a prototype to stop or cure the spread of “Zombism”, occurring in various U.S. cities.

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Jorge Gavillan, was the academy’s director. Dr. Christy Lowery-Carter, Ronnie Cole, Katherine Clatterbuck and Christy Shook, planned and implemented the curriculum.

On June 5 – 6, a professional development was held for the teachers that participated in the academy. Dawn Miller, Adam Reeves, Cassie Prevett, Jill Brinkley, Karen Osbourne, Jenna Finnegan, Kate Clarke & Gloria Coles were the educators that participated in the academy as team leaders.