The College of Arts and Sciences welcomed 28 ninth- and tenth-grade students to campus June 22-28 for UNCW STEAM Team. During this summer program, attendees learn science, technology, engineering, entrepreneurship, arts and math in a fast-paced university environment. STEAM Team encourages standout students from populations underrepresented in universities and colleges to pursue higher education and a variety of career paths.
A cross-campus committee led by Aswani Volety, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, developed and launched STEAM Team in 2018, focusing on introducing potential first-generation college students to UNCW. This year, STEAM Team has returned with the goal of becoming an integral part of the university’s community engagement efforts.
“STEAM Team immerses students in a university campus environment and provides them with opportunities to engage in hands-on learning across academic disciplines,” said Volety. “We hope the experience inspires these students to pursue higher education and explore a variety of career paths in the future.”
During the program, STEAM Team participants live in a residence hall and learn in UNCW’s labs and classrooms. Each day students will attend fun, educational sessions designed to showcase the synergy of STEAM. This year’s sessions include a virtual reality and video game design workshop; a hands-on nursing lab experience; marine biology study at the Center for Marine Science; arts projects with DREAMS of Wilmington; an ocean plastics seminar from Tricia Monteleone, vice president and public relations coordinator of the Plastic Ocean Project; and the newly added entrepreneurship day at Tek Mountain, made possible by a generous donation from the Beck Foundation, where local entrepreneurs will mentor the students on business planning.
Originally published June 18, 2019.