Year-long camp focused on STEM learning

Understanding color change, is part of what can be taught at Get with the Program’s STEM camp.

From learning how to make slime balls, to understanding color change, is what can be taught at Get with the Program’s STEM camp.

Get with the Program is a nonprofit organization that promotes and reinforces literacy in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from preschool to 12th grade.

Founder and CEO Jason Williams started the organization for his 7-year-old son Amir Williams and 9-yearold daughter Jaylonn Williams.

“When I was growing up, I didn’t have access to high quality STEM classes,” Williams said. “I want my kids to have the skills necessary to excel in STEM-related jobs.”

During the period 2010 to 2020, employment in science and engineering occupations will grow by 18.7 percent, compared to 14.3 percent for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“There are 2.4 million jobs currently available in

the STEM field and people don’t have the skills to fill those jobs,” Williams said. “I want to create a pipeline to fill that gap.”

Oberlin College Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Jason Belitsky showed the children how to make slime balls, and Chemistry Professor Zoey Hua let children mix milk and dish detergent to demonstrate how to neutralize a base.

“I wanted to show them how the two substances

will react with each other,” Hua said. “Plus, I wanted to use milk because the students will be learning how to make ice cream later in the day.”

Get with the Program focuses on STEM, but also it takes a holistic approach to child development by incorporating art, music, physical education, and language arts into STEM learning, Williams said.

STEM camp is unique for three reasons: year-long programming; hands on experience; and the inclusion of other subjects from art to physical education.

“Schools teach the basic standards and go off worksheets, but we let students interact, which is very important,” Williams said. “You learn more when you are actually doing things.”

Giving children hands on experience is something that should be done everywhere, according to Williams.

“We are in a new era and we need a new approach to teach our children,” he said. “This STEM camp gives children hands on experience. I think this should be adopted and incorporated in everything.”

“There are 2.4 million jobs currently available in the stem field and people don’t have the skills to fill those jobs.” — Founder and CEO Jason Williams

KELSEY LEYVA — THE MORNING JOURNAL Ian Kilgore, an 8-year-old second-grader at Avon East Elementary School, watches as Oberlin College Professor Jason Belitsky creates a slimy gel April 14 during the Get with the Program “Chemistry” STEM camp at Oberlin College’s Austin E. Knowlton...