La Verne Hosts STEM Camp for High School, Community College Students
High school students dashed up the stairs of the Mainiero Building after a coffee pit stop at Barbara鈥檚 Caf茅. They gathered in the biology lab, began hooking each other up to EKG devices and then jotted down results in their notebooks.
鈥淲e want to show the effects of stimulants on the heart,鈥� said Dr. Jerome Garcia, biology department chairman.
It was all part of 每日大赛鈥檚 two-week Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) summer camp, which drew a dozen teens from Southland high schools and 12 students from Taft College in Kern County.
The camp has been held four times through Title V STEM grants.
鈥淭he purpose of the camp is exposing the high school students to the diversity of the natural sciences,鈥� said Garcia, who is the STEM grant director for La Verne.
They have dissected sheep hearts, toured Jet Propulsion Laboratory, surveyed insects in the San Dimas Experimental Forest and analyzed water samples from San Antonio Creek near Mt. Baldy. They have also had classes in computer science and mathematics.
That鈥檚 what drew 15-year-old Nia Rasshan鈥檚 interest. The junior from Ganesha High School in Pomona said she is drawn to computer science and engineering, as well as studying computer hardware and software.
鈥淚 hope to get more information on the (college) classes I鈥檇 take and to get the college experience,鈥� she said.
Taft students broke off into separate groups, assisting La Verne faculty with their own research.
La Verne did not hold the camp last summer, in part, because coordinators wanted to revamp and expand the program, Garcia said.
This year, there are more areas of study, and debate exercises and competitions make up 50 percent of the session.
How does debate apply to science and technology?
Future scientists need to be able to communicate their novel ideas, Garcia said. Having skills in speech communication will help.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not really about being right or wrong, but providing different perspectives,鈥� he said.
After the EKG exercise, students ventured over to the Pomona College Organic Farm in Claremont, where they learned about sustainable agriculture. They broke up into teams, preparing soil for planting, sifting compost and removing weeds from a watermelon patch.
Damien High School sophomore Kalani Matton, who helped with the weeding, said he signed up for the camp due to his interest in biology, but he hasn鈥檛 decided on a college major yet.
鈥淚鈥檓 still thinking about it. I鈥檓 just trying out new things,鈥� he said.
The camp continues until Friday.
