Innovative academy equips military kids with important STEM skills
One-hundred and thirty-five excited, smiling middle school-aged children partook in a summer camp experience like no other. What was inherently different about the Summer Academy was that these campers came from military installations all around the world. The bright-minded kids quickly bonded and engaged in hands-on STEM (science, engineering, technology and math) learning at the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, California.
Highlights included lessons in robotics, food chemistry, video games and a trip to Disneyland to learn about the physics of park rides. Some of the sponsors that make these adventures and lifelong memories possible for the campers include Disneyland Resort, Boeing and Fluor Corporation. Representatives from each company got an opportunity to get a glimpse of the experience that the children received and were impressed by prospects of their future.
“My belief is that those kids who are fortunate enough to attend the camp will make memories and connections that could very well last a lifetime,” explained Thomas Armfield, who serves as chairman for the Boeing High Desert Employees Community Fund. “Experiences like the Tiger Woods Summer Academy could very well be the spark that a kid needs to pursue a dream he or she never realized they had.”
The Summer Academy is managed by full-time, first-class instructors, and offers week-long sessions focused on STEM career exploration and golf for beginners. One of the biggest advocates of the quality of instruction given at the non-traditional camp is Gina Welch, corporate citizenship specialist at Disneyland Resort.
“The instructors do a fabulous job in creating an open learning environment, where students can explore and be innovative,” Welch said. “It was amazing to see what the students had learned and created. From building robots to conducting food experiments, the students that I spoke with were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the projects they were working on.”
DeeDee Rosenthal, community relations manager with the Fluor Corporation, echoed similar sentiments to Welch.
“We were very impressed with how excited and engaged the campers were,” Rosenthal said. “The overall program, environment and staff really make the whole experience a fun way to learn.”
Learn more about the Tiger Woods Learning Center Summer Academy.
