Each spring, Newman University hosts its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Exploration Program, sponsored by BNSF Railway.
This program is designed to help high school students, freshmen through seniors, engage and learn about multiple STEM fields and potential career opportunities available.
During the course of eight weeks, beginning Jan. 14 and ending March 5, students attended Tuesday and Thursday classes from 4 – 5:45 p.m. on the Newman campus. They were introduced to coursework presented by the university’s professors, sat in on keynote presentations given by alumni working in the STEM fields, participated in scientific labs and even toured an outside facility.
The cost for students to attend the program was only $75, which was waived for some qualified students, and each student received 2 hours of college course credit upon completion.
Hayden Lauvhan, a sophomore at South High School, signed up for the program because he is highly interested in the technology field. The fact he received college credit for the course was another bonus.
He said, “Coming to campus, it gives you more of a feel of how college is, seeing all the buildings and classrooms is a lot of fun. I learned a lot during the semester here.”
A banquet was held March 5 on campus for the students who attended the program and their families in order to celebrate their hard work and dedication to higher learning.
Ryan Huschka, program coordinator, congratulated the students and added special thank you messages to all involved throughout the 8-week program.
Newman University will offer its annual Investigative Summer Science STEM (ISSP) program, which takes high school students even more in-depth into the STEM studies.
ISSP participants live on campus for two weeks and are fully immersed in a college-like experience with daily classes, labs, lectures and field trips.
To learn more about either program, contact Hushka at [email protected].
