SAME’s 2024 STEM/Engineering & Construction Camps Are in Full Swing!

Mid-Summer STEM/Engineering & Construction Camp Round-Up

SAME’s 2024 season of its STEM/Engineering & Construction Camps are well underway, and it already looks like it will be a season for the books! With June barely in the rear view, high school students have embraced the early summer heat to face hands-on engineering challenges and push their creative boundaries to their limits! Relive some of the best activities, challenges, and competitions this stellar group of campers faced this year.

Every summer, a huge team effort makes our Engineering & Construction Camps a resounding success. The SAME Foundation provides critical support for our Camps Mentor program, while the SAME Camps COI is instrumental in organizing and managing all of the behind-the-scenes details that keep the camps running smoothly. Not to mention the hundreds of volunteers across the country who selflessly give of their time and energy to ensure that the future of our nation’s engineering and STEM community is bright.

U.S. Army Camp, Vicksburg

On June 9th, the SAME/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineering & Construction Camp continued its 21-year-long tradition of starting the popular STEM camp season off with a bang! Industry professionals and Army service members enthusiastically volunteered their time and braved the heat in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to coach and mentor aspiring STEM students through a week of engineering, construction and design challenges.

Campers arrived and had a chance to mix and mingle before forming the squads they would be working with all week long. Squads tackled exciting physical and mental challenges that tested group coordination and individual creativity. Throughout the week, the groups attended presentations and participated in physical exercises involving computer modeling, coastal and hydraulics, construction methods, soils and environmental science, and so much more. Field trips to historic parks, museums and working facilities provided a welcome balance to their jam-packed schedules, and in the tradition of a true summer camp, students were treated to a pool party, bowling night and even a ‘funny awards’ ceremony!

U.S. Navy Camp, Jacksonville

This year, Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Florida, held its inaugural SAME Engineering and Construction Camp. True to the STEM Camp legacy, it proved to be a huge success. The camp welcomed 47 students and introduced them to a schedule full of projects, experiences, and presentations designed to showcase the possibilities of a career in the STEM fields.

Guided by a passionate group of industry, military and civilian A/E/C professionals, the campers formed squads which tested their group talents as they participated in friendly competitions for the honor of Top Squad. The groups built and tested cardboard boats, constructed concrete beams, and honed their teamwork and communication skills as they worked through various other design and construction projects.

The campers’ packed week included local site visits, an engineer designed obstacle course, visits from senior NAVFAC leaders and just enough relaxation time to balance out the schedule. The Jacksonville Navy STEM camp wrapped up its immersive inaugural camp experience with a graduation beach party at Naval Station Mayport.