Thirty high school juniors and seniors will spend two intense weeks learning about possible career opportunities at Elmhurst University’s Summer STEM Academy. Starting on July 15, they will discover the possibilities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as teaching those subjects, through lectures and hands-on learning experiences.
The program is partially funded by a National Science Foundation grant. Theresa Robinson, Director of Secondary Education at Elmhurst University, and Assistant Director of the Summer STEM Academy, noted that the purpose of the grant is “to increase the number of diverse teachers from underrepresented groups who are teaching STEM.” She reported that one of the graduates of the STEM program is a bilingual chemistry teacher.
The educational experience begins when the students register for the program.
“They have to actually apply. They have to submit their transcripts,” Robinson said. “Once they’re admitted, they have to complete an enrollment form. All of the processes mirror the process students go through when they’re applying and getting accepted to college.”
There is a $50 registration fee but scholarships are available, as are waivers for qualifying students. There’s an optional $300 fee for students who want to take the program for college credit. All students who attend the Academy receive a $2,000 annual scholarship toward an undergraduate degree at Elmhurst University.
Some of the students who attend the program are selected through the university’s partnership with Leyden School District 212.
Participants attend the Academy from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday for two weeks. The students all take a math course and a chemistry class.
Robinson teaches a class on exploring careers in STEM, with an emphasis on the opportunities in STEM teaching.
Seminars will be taught on a variety of subjects, including “How to Conduct Research,” which is taught by a librarian. Other topics include, “How to Read Complex Texts,” “Social Justice Systems,” and “College Readiness.”
“It’s a full schedule,” Robinson said. “They get one hour for break. The last 30 minutes are for support for their homework. And it will also be a time for them to work collaboratively on their research project. They will present their research on the last day of the Academy in a symposium format.”
Each year, a theme is presented for the research project. This year’s theme is “STEM with Chem.” That refers to the interconnectedness of STEM and chemistry.
“We look at biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, psychology,” Robinson said. And the areas that must be focused on “to ensure that our planet is sustainable.”
Students decide which area on which they want to focus and are then grouped with two or three other students, with similar interests, to work on their projects.
The Summer Academy has been going on at Elmhurst University for 20 years, Robinson reported. For the last four years, it has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
The university has several goals for the Academy.
“We want to provide access to high-quality STEM education for all students,” Robinson said. “We want to present the option of a career in STEM teaching. We are in a critical teacher shortage for STEM subjects in the State of Illinois.”
To measure the success of the Summer STEM Academy, students are surveyed at the end of the session to determine how satisfied they were with the program. In addition, students are tested before and after they attend the Academy to measure how much they have learned.
“We have a robust evaluation system,” Robinson declared.
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
