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Staff Reports

 Over 60 rising tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students from 10 different counties completed the six-day, five-night South Georgia Technical College Summer Bridge STEM camp to learn more about the educational and career opportunities available in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields.  SGTC and Chattahoochee Flint RESA partnered to host the event with grant funding.

   “This may be the single best high school event, South Georgia Technical College has ever hosted,” said SGTC President Dr. John Watford.  “I have been amazed and inspired by each of these students and all of the activities they have participated in this past week.  This has been a tremendous event and parents you have raised some awesome children and our future is in good hands.”

   The Jet Set Stem Camp kicked off on Sunday, June 9^th and will ended Friday, June 14^th with an impressive graduation ceremony in front of the STEM campers parents and family members.  Each of the campers received a certificate in addition to a book titled “What Do You Do With An Idea?” The counselors and administrators wrote encouraging notes to each of the campers for their participation and fellow team members also signed each other’s books.

   “The purpose of STEM or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math activities are to teach individuals to think and to discover more about the opportunities around them,” said Heidi Gooden of Chattahoochee-Flint RESA.  “We hope we have imparted the love of that type of learning through this summer bridge camp that allowed students to take part in the “complete college experience” while learning more about STEM type careers.”

   The students stayed on-campus in SGTC housing and ate three meals each day in the SGTC Dining Hall. The STEM campers and counselors were divided into four different teams – Jets, Aviators, Aces, and Mavericks.  The teams competed against each other in different games and competitions to earn bragging rights about STEM related activities.  The Aviators finished in first place at the end of the week.

   The students were exposed to many of the over 200 programs of study on the SGTC campus including aviation maintenance, avionics, aircraft structural, medical and nursing programs, culinary arts, electrical construction, welding and joining, automotive repair and auto collision and repair, high performance engines, diesel technology, electrical lineworker, criminal justice, drafting, precision machining and manufacturing, biology, mathematics, air conditioning technology, sports and fitness, cosmetology, barbering, cybersecurity, horticulture, electronics, and more.

   Students enjoyed a wide array of activities each day under the supervision of SGTC and Chattahoochee Flint RESA administrators, faculty, and staff.  A special career fair was also held and outside representatives were encouraged to come out and talk with students about their career opportunities.

   SGTC Grant Coordinator Katrice Martin, SGTC Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Josh Curtin, VP of Student Affairs Eulish Kinchens, VP of Academic Affairs Julie Partain, and SGTC VP of Institutional Advancement Su Ann Bird along with Chattahoochee Flint RESA’s Heidi Gooden and Tonya Barrett planned the event and coordinated with SGTC instructors and students to help highlight the different program areas.