Community College hosts STEAM Academy

Middle school and high school students from across the Oregon Coast had a unique opportunity to attend a STEAM Academy featuring four days of hands-on natural disaster activities.

The Southwestern Oregon Community College event was hosted by STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) professors and student researchers. The academy took place over four days in mid-August.

Students in seventh to twelfth-grade attended the academy.

“We limit this event to 15 students so they can get more of a one-on-one experience, similar to an experience here at SWOCC with our smaller class sizes,” said Krystal M. Hopper Meyers, STEAM Pathways Assistant at Southwestern Oregon Community College.

The ‘STEAM Academy: Natural Disasters’ featured activities inside college labs and outside around campus. Participants got to attend planetarium shows, play games, and go on a field trip to the South Slough Reserve.

“This year we even had a neat investigation Escape Room experience all week, where the students would learn clues and skills to help solve puzzles,” Hopper Meyers said.

More information about the STEAM Academy, and Southwestern Oregon Community College STEAM "Science Technology Engineering Art & Math" can be found at www.socc.edu and on the SWOCC STEAM Pathways Facebook Page.