Students Discover STEM via Summer Solar Academy
Read the powerful testimony shared by one student about discovering the impact of STEM in his life.
Education experiences for high school students can be life-changing. This summer, sophomore and junior students from The Environmental and Public Health Academies at Oakland High School participated in just such a program: a three-week course focusing on solar electrical systems, applicable mathematics, and college access. This special course, which included mentoring, tutoring, and community service, is funded by the National Science Foundation as a joint venture between the Lawrence Hall of Science, Oakland Unified School District, and several community partners including East Bay College Fund, We Care Solar and Aspire Education Project.
The impact of the experience on these students’ lives was evident during the culminating presentations on the program’s final day. Working in teams, students led presentations describing the challenges, successes, and discoveries as they developed their solar projects. One student, Thang Khong, shared a moving testimony about discovering the importance of STEM in his own life:
“From the very beginning, I never understood the importance of S.T.E.M. because I never thought it would apply for me but it does. S.T.E.M. stands for: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Have you considered how often we experience S.T.E.M. in our daily lives? Science is our world, from the billions of stars in our galaxy to the grains of sand on our beaches. It’s the vast ocean and the wide land. It’s our food and it’s our genetics. Science is endless. In our generation, technology means computers and smartphones but it goes back to television, telescopes. compasses, and even the first wheel. 
Furthermore, engineers are responsible for designing the tallest of buildings to the sturdiest of roads and bridges but they also have to face today’s challenges such as global warming, transportation and eco-friendly machines and appliances. And lastly, the bane of my existence SO FAR…we encounter mathematics at grocery stores, on our taxes, the bank and even on our budgets. Whether we want it or not, S.T.E.M. impacts all of us and S.T.E.M. is our future. The world wants its next generation of bright minds and young scientists so why are we to stop them. In my opinion the sooner S.T.E.M. is introduced to a student, the more time they will have to consider and prepare for their career option and interests. S.T.E.M. is also their key in making wiser decisions even at a young age.In conclusion, S.T.E.M. doesn’t only influence who we are or who we want to be, S.T.E.M. pervades every aspect of our very lives especially in students where the “seed of interest” begins to sprout.”
Congratulations to our partners at the Lawrence Hall of Science and Oakland Unified School District for putting together this powerful learning experience. We applaud their work to build the next generation of thinkers, makers, problem solvers, and leaders.