Kingsborough Launches STEM Summer Boot Camp In New $200k Facility

Kingsborough Community College (KCC) unveiled on Thursday its brand new $200,000 STEM lab, where a select group of incoming freshman will participate in an immersive summer boot camp meant to stimulate interest in math- and science-related careers.

“Educational research shows that hands-on, contextual learning appears to be most effective when introducing students to new areas of study,” KCC Provost Stuart Suss said in a press release. “This is the overall goal of the summer STEM experience. We intend to awaken an interest and help it grow into an appetite for learning, ultimately providing a great starting point for those choosing careers in STEM.”

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. According to a release from the college, the program will accept two groups of 15 students for a two-week program focusing on 10 areas of study: alternative energy, biomedical engineering, computer graphics and animation, environmental technology, forensics, manufacturing technology, materials science, medical imaging, nursing, and robotics.

“President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology released a 2012 report suggesting that the first two years of undergraduate study are the most critical for recruiting and retaining STEM majors to fill the STEM employment gap,” Biological Sciences Department Chair Loretta Brancaccio-Taras said in the press release. “The Kingsborough STEM Lab directly addresses this issue and provides students with engaging experiences with highly-trained faculty who are also scientists.”

The new 1,215-square-foot STEM lab, which will also be available for use by students working on science and tech projects, was built over several months this past spring and paid for with a combination of public and private funds. The lab contains 10 workstations and can be used by up to 24 students at a time.

“There is no greater investment in the future, than one in education,” KCC President Farley Herzek said in the release. “Our brand new STEM Lab gives our incoming STEM-focused freshmen a fantastic opportunity to learn more about particular areas of interest to them.