Where S.T.E.M. Comes Alive For Every Child, Every Day, Whatever It Takes.

Star Achievers Academy YMCA, in collaboration with the Peninsula Rotary Club and Cooper Elementary Magnet School for Technology, is a unique community partnership which provides innovative programs, tools and resources necessary for the academic and personal success of children.

On April 24-26, our Cooper Elementary 5th grade students experienced the Star Achievers Academy YMCA Environmental Science Camp at Camp Piankatank. The camp is surrounded by a natural hardwood forest to the North, marshland to the east, Stamper's Bay Road to the west, and the Piankatank River to the south. This rigorous camp/program is an integrated classroom and experiential learning program in environmental science and ecology for our 5th graders at Cooper Magnet School for Technology. Our camp brought together the expertise of several local partners - Cooper elementary teachers, Virginia Living Museum education staff, Camp Silver Beach Environmental Science Center staff, astronomers and a host of parent volunteers.

The environmental project is designed to integrate academic skills in math, reading and social studies, while offering students the opportunity to be real scientists and participate in hands-on projects and experiments.