OU to co-host STEM camp for area high school students

This year, OU has partnered with Oakland Schools Technical Campuses to provide a dynamic, hands-on learning experience for high school students in Oakland County. The program is open to students who will be entering grades 9-12 this fall. 

Camp participants will learn about a variety of cutting-edge STEM topics, including alternative energy systems, the engineering design process, bio-engineering, electronic circuit design, programing and controls, computer engineering and robot building. Organizers hope these opportunities will encourage more students to pursue STEM-related fields, where job growth continues to flourish. 

 

Chris Kobus helped create the STEM partnership with K-12 schools.

Chris Kobus, director of outreach and recruitment for the OU School of Engineering and Computer Science, has helped to create STEM-focused partnerships with K-12 schools with the goal of preparing students for the 21st-century workplace.

 
“Right now, we are at a point where, as an institution of higher education, we cannot simply wait until the kids graduate high school and get handed off to us,” Dr. Kobus said. “We need to partner with K-12 to get the students excited about STEM and use our resources to help prepare them. For every engineering student we graduate, there are currently more than two job openings. We simply cannot get enough students, and these are wonderful, high-paying jobs.”

With support from OU’s Professional and Continuing Education unit, the university has hosted several workshops to share resources and train teachers in Oakland Schools about the latest teaching techniques in the STEM fields. Teachers also toured OU facilities and previewed the Human Health Building to gain new perspectives on science and technology. These activities helped the teachers and OU professors to develop an exciting summer STEM camp experience for students. 

“We at Oakland Schools are very enthusiastic about this wonderful opportunity for county students,” said Mike McIntyre, Oakland Schools STEM coordinator. “This innovative partnership with Oakland University is creating pathways for students, taking them from the start of high school, through college, to exciting and rewarding STEM careers.”

Camp sessions will be offered at each of the four Oakland Schools Technical Campus locations, along with an optional capstone project session available for those who attend one of the four sessions. Each camp session will feature one week at an Oakland Schools Technical Campus and one week at OU’s campus in Rochester. The cost is $25 for current OSTC students and those enrolled for the 2013-2014 year, and $100 for all other students. For details on camp sessions, view the flyer.  

Space is limited. To register, complete an enrollment application at ostconline.com, click on the 2013 Summer School link and submit it to the applicable Oakland Schools Technical Campus. For more information, contact Oakland Schools at (248) 209-2584.