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Contact Kristin Connelly or Terry Shoaff for more information or call 925.246.1880.

For a decade now, the Contra Costa Economic Partnership's East Bay STEM Workforce Initiative has offered an array of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) summer camps for hundreds of incoming juniors and seniors at East Bay high schools. Camp Managers Liz Ritchie and Tiffany E. Grant report that the camps are both educational and fun, and the teachers and students seem to agree.
 
The camps are made possible through industry sponsorships and in collaboration with the many professionals working in STEM-related fields who volunteer to work with the students and their teachers. Teachers also benefit from the rich experiences they derive from the lectures, laboratory and field trips offered.
 
"With the knowledge I gain from scientists and others who are on the leading edge of research and application, the summer camps enable me to update and integrate the newest information within my classroom in the fall," said Maria Fletcher, a Ygnacio Valley science teacher. "There are a full range of careers available for students that they would not know about if it were not for the camps--jobs that they can access directly out of high school or with some post-secondary education and training," she said. "A world of opportunity exists that young people don't know about."
 
"Without the involvement of industry and the terrific energy and knowledge these professionals bring, the summer camps would not be the great success they are," says April Treece, director of the STEM Workforce Initiative. "We're very grateful to the business community for making these very important STEM investments that allow this region's students and teachers to have access to information about advancements in research and technology."
 
Activities this summer included Engineering Summer Camp, held June 16-20 at Diablo Valley College; Biotechnology Summer Camp, held July 7-11, Solar Science Summer Academy, held July 14-18; and Environmental Sciences Summer Camp, held July 21-25. The latter three camps were hosted by Cal State-East Bay's Concord Campus.

The summer camp experiences allow participants to explore theory and practice in week-long curriculum that uses best practices in teaching including a blend of lecture, hands-on exploration, project-based learning and field visits in industry, combined with college campus exposure and college credit.
 
Presenting sponsor of the Contra Costa STEM Summer Camps is Chevron, with major sponsorship from Diablo Valley College, Bio-Rad Laboratories, John Muir Health, Contra Costa Water District, East Bay Regional Park District and Contra Costa Building Trades Council, including IBEW Local 302, Sheet Metal Workers Local 104 and Carpenters Union Local 152. SunPower was the sole sponsor of the Solar Science Summer Academy. Camp collaborating partners included Cal State-East Bay, the Contra Costa County Office of Education and the Colleges of Contra Costa.

For more information on the summer camps, visit the current Summer Camps website or contact April Treece at ccep@cococo.org, 925.672-3759.