EOSC GEAR UP students attend school’s STEM Camp recently

WILBURTON — Twenty-eight junior and senior GEAR UP students from Area Public Schools recently participated in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Camp at Eastern Oklahoma State College, showcasing careers and education.

Students from Poteau, Bokoshe, Howe, Leflore, Panama, Spiro, Talihina, Keota, Clayton, Antlers, Canadian, Coalgate, Hartshorne, McAlester, Porum, Quinton, Rattan, Savanna and Wilburton spent three days on the EOSC campus learning about different STEM Careers and growing in their education as well.

Many area organizations partnered with GEAR UP to make this week a success. The City of Wilburton, Oklahoma Forestry, Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Wilburton, Wyoming State Parks and EOSC all played a role in introducing students to careers and education in S.T.E.M.

Paradigm Shift led students through a multi-day leadership and robot building project. The camp covered the basics of STEM and the top 10 jobs of the future.

Students also received a ChampBot Kit where they could build the bot into three different robots to complete many tasks through an app. The students showcased their new skills to parents on the final night of camp, with more than 80 people in attendance. As Paradigm Shift shared, “the problem-solving skills learned at STEM camp will help students be prepared for graduation and any career path they choose afterward.”

Students had many opportunities to think outside the box of what they knew about STEM, along with furthering their leadership, communication and teamwork skills through nightly activities and sessions. Three students stood out as our Top 3 Campers: Boone Downing, CiCi Rit and Stetson Peek.

The camp was sponsored by EOSC’s GEAR UP program. EOSC received a $17 million federal GEAR UP grant in 2017 and will serve more than 3,000 students in 39 area schools for seven years.