Students Attend Camp IT Event

In February, the chapter co-hosted Camp IT, the annual science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-centered event at Alabama State University (ASU). The chapter partnered with ASU, the local IT Advisory Council and the Alabama Department of Transportation to make the event a success. As a major event sponsor, the chapter played a key role by funding the purchase of student T-shirts and by donating various raffle and goody bag items. Camp IT is designed to capture the interest of incoming high school freshman in the River Region by impressing upon them not only the importance of STEM in their everyday lives but the limitless options yielded by a career in a STEM-related field. Roughly 200 students attended the event and were highly active in participating during the opening question and answer session led by leaders from ASU and the chapter: Dr. Joe Besselman, former chapter president, and Charisse Stokes, director, chapter Education Foundation. During a follow-on presentation, students were introduced to local Montgomery professionals thriving in STEM-driven careers: Eric Sloan, director, business development, TSCTI; Josh Bush, chief executive officer of Up and Running Inc.; and Dr. Yolanda Rose, optometrist for Wal-Mart Corporation. Students actively engaged throughout the entirety of the presentation and had the opportunity to win iPad minis and gift cards donated by the chapter. Students then attended their choice of 12 mini-camp sessions, including computer games, fixing a computer, web design, robotics, a Hackathon, and programming in CSS and HTML using Dreamweaver and other tools. Various professionals from the Montgomery area assisted in teaching these sessions, including staff from local Maxwell Air Force Base-Gunter Annex's Application Software Assurance Center of Excellence (ASACoE), who volunteered their time by leading the Hackathon mini-camp seminar. Overall, the event was a major success, and the chapter looks forward to further promoting STEM education in the community.

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