Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) personnel supported Florida State University Panama City (FSUPC) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Institute's 10th annual STEM camp June 15.

The STEM camp is designed to engage the minds of students by allowing them to have hands-on experience in a laboratory setting about a variety of different STEM related subjects. The mission of FSUPC's STEM Institute is that they believe in promoting educational excellence through providing educators with professional skills, creating quality learning opportunities for K-12 students, cultivating regional partnerships and developing new STEM education programs.

The STEM camp began in 2005 by a group of individuals including previous NSWC PCD Technical Director Dr. Ace Summey and Dr. Dave Skinner, former NSWC PCD Department Head Leon Walters, NSWC PCD STEM Outreach Coordinator Ed Linsenmeyer, along with academic leaders including Bay County School District Board Member Ginger Littleton.

"We knew there was a need and a requirement for someone to get involved with a STEM active youth group and students of the surrounding area, so we began the first one as an outreach to engage youth," says Walters. "The group did not know how much of a positive impact the STEM camp would come to be over the past ten years, but they are pleasantly surprised what a value the camp has become to not only our local community, but surrounding areas including Washington county as well."

The FSUPC STEM Institute website states that at the camp, STEM professionals and local educators inspire students to have an interest in STEM and giving them hands on experience by learning in the various areas including: robotics, environment, electrical engineering and computer science.

According to Dr. John Smith, FSUPC STEM Institute director, the STEM camp would not be possible without the generous support of sponsors like Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), who provide a sizeable grant every year for STEM camp.

"This year, because of the grant, students are able to attend the STEM camp essentially free. NSWC PCD has been working the funding and manpower for several years by providing several volunteer hours, mentors, and teachers for this educational event," said Smith.

The STEM camp has also sparked interests among students in other counties, including Washington and Holmes Counties. Kathy Nelson, coordinator at Florida Panhandle Technical College, first learned of the STEM camp about four years ago.

"When I first attended the camp with my students, the children were awestruck by what was available to them via the FSUPC STEM camp," says Nelson. "One student even felt competence stress that they were not capable to participate in such an intriguing event. By the end of the event, the student stated that they could have never imagined that they could not only build a robot, but program a robot, build solar lights, etc."

The students were so impressed at what FSUPC STEM camp had to offer, that they urged Nelson to allow them to have a STEM club of their own.

Now, Nelson has replicated her learnings in Washington County and started a STEM club. Nelson's STEM Club, to date, targets 5th through 8th grade students in Chipley, Florida, and offers those rural students, as well as surrounding rural counties, the opportunity to experience STEM.

"The students enjoy the club so much that they are always recruiting new members to join to allow others to see what is possible with STEM. They even get to demonstrate their EV3 that a student built that is named 'Elliephant the elephant', that includes an elephant roar to show others an example of what can be constructed in the STEM club," she said.

In addition to learning about STEM, Nelson said developing communication skills is also essential.

"The best way to develop communication skills is to be doing something and then sharing that with others" says Nelson. "I am indebted to NSWC PCD and FSUPC for allowing this experience."

"It is wonderful that we have a group of young people that are interested in learning from people that are out in the community doing interesting and profitable jobs", says Steve Leach, FSUPC interim dean and computer science professor. "There are very positive and wonderful things going on right here on our campus, and we are just thrilled to be a part of it."

During the orientation ceremony of the event, Bay District School Board member Ginger Littleton gave a brief introduction of Sam E. Nole, the STEM Institute's first humanoid robot who goes to various school campuses and engages the students in the idea of perusing an education in the STEM field.

She then announced that there would be a new member to the Nole family that had the same characteristics as the person for whom it is named. Some of the characteristics included someone who was: passionate, enthusiastic, gives the STEM message across the region, able to drop the hammer if need be, and someone who has carried on Dr. Skinner's vision of STEM development.

FSUPC's second humanoid robot was announced as Walter's "Wally" Nole, the namesake for Leon Walters, STEM institute board member and NSWC retiree. Walters was elated to be the recipient of the robot namesake, along with a naming certificate for Walter's "Wally" Nole. "Whoever is responsible for this, I thank you. I am so, so honored" stated Walters.

"When we started this ten years ago, we did not know how big this was going to get," said Walters. "I am happy to say today that we have had a lot of success."

"I go back to when we started, we had a child that was homeless," Walters stated as he reflected on past memories of the program. "I am proud to announce that by being his mentor, that I have him a rising senior in chemical engineering with a double major in math. That's what it's all about folks!"

Walters concluded the ceremony and acceptance of his namesake certificate with a closing statement. "I encourage each of you students to see what there is to learn at these campuses that might be where you want to be in the future that is associated with STEM," stated Walters. "The possibilities are endless."

For more news from Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, visit www.navy.mil/local/NSWC/.