Subscribe
SAN DIEGO -- Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command participated in the Navy’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps nation-wide science, technology, engineering and mathematics camp at the University of San Diego, July 19.
Scientists from SPAWAR’s Systems Center Pacific hosted a discussion and demonstration panel for cadets as part of the week long event to encourage and prepare academically qualified young cadets for transition to college and a science, technology, engineering and mathematics career.
"We have the best science and engineering universities in the world. Unfortunately, too few American students take advantage of them. For example, in the U.S. only six percent of our undergraduates major in engineering; whereas, it is twice that in Europe and six to seven times that in china,” said Dr. Jim Rohr, director of STEM outreach programs, SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific. “Programs like this are a wonderful venue for STEM professionals to celebrate their disciplines and encourage the next generation to pursue their dreams and make a difference."
Rohr and fellow scientists and engineers led a session titled, “Thinking Outside the Box,” which was designed to get students to think about the creativity that goes into engineering. Topics included the Navy’s marine mammal program, aviation, ubiquity and cyber operations and robotics.
“SPAWAR became involved with STEM camp over three years ago during National Engineering Week,” said Rohr, who has given over 60 presentations. “It really empowers the young men and women who attend to think creatively and believe that they can become an engineer.”
More than 160 high school students will take part in activities on the USD campus throughout the week. Cadets will make large Styrofoam shoes, which they will use to try and walk on water. Additionally, they will build a catapult to accurately fire tennis balls, program a robot to complete a maze, design a key chain with a computer-aided design program and learn how to use an object-oriented programming language called “Alice.”
"The Navy Junior ROTC STEM camp was created to get young men and women interested in science and technology," said Allen Stubblefield, director of STEM camp "I've found that once you get young people on a college campus, it piques their interest and they begin to believe that college is do-able for them, too."
Each year Navy Junior ROTC holds STEM camp on college campuses to get young cadets to “think outside the box” and develop an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. According to Dr. J.D. Smith, program manager for the Navy Junior ROTC, over 84,000 students have gone through camp in the 10 years he has been involved. There are currently more than 500 cadets in STEM camps on six different college campuses across the nation, including USD.
“Focusing on STEM within our education system is vital to the preservation of our nation's future and programs such as STEM camp help to excite our youth by showing them the tremendously rewarding opportunities that lie ahead if they focus and dedicate themselves in their studies,” said retired Rear Adm. Len R. Hering, former commander of Navy Region Southwest and now vice president for business services and administration at USD. “We hold special workshops here on campus during the summer that focus on STEM so that high school graduates are better prepared for a successful experience, either here or at some other institution.”
The SPAWAR STEM outreach program focuses on building networks within academia, government and industry communities to increase awareness about the importance of improving the scientific and technological literacy and competitiveness of the nation's students.
As the Navy’s Information Systems Dominance Command, SPAWAR participates regularly in events and programs such as the Navy’s Junior ROTC STEM camp with a goal of inspiring and preparing young men and women for STEM careers.
For more news from Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/spawar/.
| Date Taken: | 07.19.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 07.20.2011 13:13 |
| Story ID: | 74017 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 112 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, SPAWAR Encourages Cadets to Think Outside the Box at Navy Junior ROTC STEM Camp, by Tina Stillions, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
