Mistakes are cool, and they are an important way kids learn, according to Cathy Fontenot, regional coordinator for West Georgia Youth Science & Technology Center, who tells her students not to regret an experiment or project that failed as it helps them learn the concepts being taught in science, technology, engineering and math.

Those four subjects combine to form the acronym of STEM, and West Georgia Technical College has hosted numerous camps this month for elementary- and middle-schoolers who are interested in those topics.  From working with LEGOs to building robots, from launching catapults to flying drones, the camps offered at both the Carroll Campus and Murphy Campus in Waco have given students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade the opportunity to learn more and have fun. 

“The ultimate, big-picture purpose of these camps is for students to enjoy learning and to inspire them to pursue careers in the STEM field,” Fontenot said. “We offer a much more relaxed environment than they might be used to at school, and that decreased pressure lets them be more creative in their thinking, which is very important for their development.”

Fontenot has been supported by several local educators who offered their time to facilitate the camps. Debbie Huckeba, a teacher from Haralson County Middle School, brought her expertise in STEM-related fields to the Murphy Campus during last week’s Robotics Camp, and Moses Mitchell, a teacher at Evans Middle School in Coweta County, facilitated the STEM Camp at Carroll Campus this week. 

The partnership between West Georgia Tech and West GYSTC has been nurtured in part through the work of the Carroll County Workforce Education task force, and Fontenot said she’s looking forward to partnering with West Georgia Tech more in the future.