Pierpont’s Maker Camp looks to teach students about ‘STREAM’ learning

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — Pierpont Community & Technical College is hosting its Maker Camp for the fifth year in a row which looks to take grant funding and teach middle and high school students about STREAM education—which stands for Science, Technology, Reading/Writing, Engineering/Entrepreneurship, Arts and Design, and Math.

“We add the A and the R because the arts and design and reading and communications, and entrepreneurship all goes together with the science, technology, engineering and math,” Assistant Professor of Applied Design Rachel Beach said. “And we want them to see…it’s cohesive and it builds upon one another.”

“But we focus on our workforce and the manufacturing part, and all our partners that we have in the community,” she added. “We do a lot of fun stuff.”

During the week, the students will do welding, robotics, LEGO building, 3D printing and coding. They’ll also be taking field trips to the Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center, North Star Technologies, and Pierpont’s culinary campus for a chance to make their own pizza.

“So they’ll have this one whole week to get some projects done and some things to experience,” said Beach.

Beach said that the camp has been doing well since its inception five years ago, and said some people have retired and moved out of the program since then, causing them to change some things around. “We just added to it and really our predecessors always leave something better to build on,” she stated. “And that has allowed us to do that.”

This camp is supported by a grant from Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, which is a national non-profit organization. Beach told 12 News that the group has been very helpful and encouraging over the years, adding that they provide a lot of good curriculum as well.

“It’s been wonderful and hopefully, we’ll have an even better one next year,” said Beach.

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