Camp IT Fires Up Young Students About STEM

In April, the chapter's Education Foundation and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce's TechMGM hosted Camp IT for area 8th-grade students at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama. The students engaged in hands-on demonstrations and breakout sessions and activities on STEM and information technology. Volunteers from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Business and Enterprise Systems (BES) Directorate assisted with and led many sessions providing students real-life applications for their activities. Camp IT also featured keynote speakers from the community and industry. Business, community and civic leaders recognize that for Montgomery to stay on the leading edge of innovation, they need to invest in young people. Having an opportunity to expose middle school-age children to STEM careers and possibilities is just a start. Camp IT also is a great opportunity for students to see how STEM is used in everyday life, academic programs around STEM and how they can become more involved in the Montgomery community to explore additional opportunities in STEM. The chamber's TechMGM is a collaboration of local industry, educational and government entities working together to connect and leverage Montgomery's technology-related assets. The initiative intends to promote the city as an emerging and innovative technology hub to enhance the workforce and grow the regional economy.

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