Students working on electricity projects at the Aiken IDEAS STEM Camp July 13.
Students showing balloon-powered car project, from left to right, London Bryant, Jonathan Blankinship, E’asia Riley, Alaija Austin, Jada Washington, Sebastian Norris, Eva Fontenot and Jonathan Wright on July 13.
From left to right, event coordinators Christopher Emanuel and Katherine Schoultz and program supervisor Marcus Schoultz on July 13.

AIKEN — Students from across Aiken County spent the week exploring science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on activities at the Aiken IDEAS STEM Camp, where organizers aimed to build career readiness alongside technical skills. 
This free admission camp brought together students in grades 3-8 for hands-on activities led by professionals from Savannah River Site organizations, the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic and the Sky Is The Limit Foundation.
Students showing balloon-powered car project, from left to right, London Bryant, Jonathan Blankinship, E’asia Riley, Alaija Austin, Jada Washington, Sebastian Norris, Eva Fontenot and Jonathan Wright on July 13.
Marcus Schoultz, NIWC Atlantic’s STEM events lead, said the camp is intended to introduce students to STEM careers while building skills and confidence at an early age. 
“We’re here to build confidence, curiosity, but also progress into profession. We want students to be able to get confidence in STEM, and learn about all different things from SRS, SRNS and NIWC Atlantic,” Schoultz said.
Throughout the week, students participated in activities designed to introduce engineering concepts while strengthening teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills.
“We hope they take everything that they learn and apply it, not only to schoolwork but everyday life,” Schoultz said.
Christopher Emanuel, event coordinator and founder of Sky Is The Limit Foundation, said the program focuses on helping students discover how STEM connects to careers and everyday challenges.
“We’ve been very strategic in creating this pipeline and tracking them along the way to make sure they know exactly what needs to be done as they transition into the workforce… The most important thing is to build in their curiosity, understanding the new industry when it comes to science, technology, engineering, arts and math,” Emanuel said.
He said the program aims to make STEM education available to all students, regardless of financial circumstances. 
“One of the things that makes the Aiken IDEAS STEM Camp unique is that it is completely free for every student who attends. Families do not pay a registration fee or any other costs… We believe that a child’s opportunity to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics should never depend on a family’s ability to pay,” Emanuel said.
Students working on electricity projects at the Aiken IDEAS STEM Camp July 13.
“Hosting the camp at Second Baptist Church in Aiken was a purposeful decision. While the camp is open to all students entering third through eighth grade throughout the CSRA, we chose to hold it in the heart of Aiken’s Northside to make high-quality STEM experiences more accessible to underserved children and families.”
Rather than asking students what career they want to pursue, Emanuel said the program encourages them to think about the problems they want to solve.
“One of the questions that comes to mind is, ‘What do I want to be when I grow up?’ and the question that we pose is, ‘What problems do you actually want to solve?’ Now when they go into school, they understand I’m not just going to school to learn math or science, I can actually learn math and science in connection to art, in connection to science, in connection to building, or in connection to fashion, and they understand what that pathway looks like when it comes to problem solving,” said Emanuel.
Leadership also plays a central role in the camp. POD leaders mentor younger participants while gaining leadership experience of their own.
POD leader Ezekiel Whetstone gave his insight on making a difference with the students. 
From left to right, event coordinators Christopher Emanuel and Katherine Schoultz and program supervisor Marcus Schoultz on July 13.
“I believe in giving kids opportunities, not only giving them the title of leader, but giving them the opportunities to train them as leaders. This whole camp is giving them the idea of modeling what leadership is,” Whetstone said.
Whetstone said one activity involving balloon-powered cars became an opportunity to teach perseverance.
“Instead of getting frustrated and thinking of quitting, I talked to them about… processing their emotions and how to keep going after a challenge,” Whetstone said.
He added that the camp emphasizes communication between leaders and students.
“The whole camp is a conversation, not confrontation. We’re able to have conversations with the kids and teach them about leadership and then also have them gain experience as well,” said Whetstone.
For POD leader London Bryant, the program has come full circle. After attending the camp as a student, she returned this year as a leader.
“This camp has poured into me tremendously. It helps you grow as a person overall, not just in STEM,” Bryant said.
She said working with younger campers reinforced the importance of collaboration within STEM.
“I learned it takes a lot of teamwork and a lot of patience. I hope that other kids learn that it is OK to ask questions,” said Bryant. 
The camp brings together students, volunteers and industry professionals for five days of hands-on learning and leadership development.
For more information about future STEM Week events, visit stemrocks.net and skyisthelimitfoundation.com.

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