If You Think This Camp’s Unusual, You’re Dead Right (Riverdale Press, New York)
A cemetery may not seem like an obvious location to host a summer camp, but for some 20 students from the Bronx, it has been the perfect place to spend time outside while learning about the history of their community. The summer program hosted by the Woodlawn Cemetery teaches students about the art and architecture in the graveyard, and introduces them to some of the people buried there, including famous figures like Miles Davis and salsa singer Celia Cruz. “If you don’t get young people to be stewards of a historic site, who’s going to care for it?” Woodlawn director of historical services Susan Olsen told the Riverdale Press.
Hundreds of Maryland Students Get to Know Careers That Could Follow High School (Washington Post)
More than 400 Montgomery County teenagers spent the past three weeks shadowing employees at health care centers, police departments, research labs, construction companies and more through a new program that gives students a glimpse into possible future careers. At Summer RISE (Real Interesting Summer Experience), students worked an average of 20 hours a week and earned a $300 stipend while learning about what paths they could take after high school or college. “Not only is this great for the kids to give them something to do, but also to show them that opportunities exist and they don’t have to live somewhere else to get an interesting job,” program director Will Jawando told the Washington Post.
STEMMING the Tide, Broadening Possibilities (Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi)
A Jackson summer camp is working to close the gender and racial gaps in STEM fields by empowering dozens of young black girls to explore engineering and other technical fields. The Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK Jackson) is an all-female STEM camp for third- through fifth-graders that engages students in hands-on, team-based engineering activities under the guidance of mentors. The program builds girls’ confidence and increases their comprehension of basic engineering and math concepts that will help them later in life. “A lot of boys become engineers but SEEK proves that girls can accomplish just as much,” participant Karis McGowan told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
From Skyhook to STEM: Kareem Abdul Jabbar Brings the Science (NPR)
NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul Jabbar is trying to narrow the opportunity gap for Los Angeles youths through his Skyhook Foundation and Camp Skyhook. The nonprofit offers public school students access to a free STEM-focused summer camp in the Angeles National Forest, where they’re able to interact with nature up close by taking water temperatures, studying soil and forest samples and learning about local wildlife. “We try to give them an idea that they are all worthy of going on and doing great things in chemistry and biology and physics and math and all those things…. They’re curious about it, so we try to get them to keep making inquiries and sniffing up that tree,” Abdul Jabbar told NPR.
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