The theme for the 2018 summer camp was “Solar Power for Nigeria” and it exposed students to the diverse solar power options available in Nigeria, while helping them harness this potential for economic growth and development. The students were taught the science behind solar power and built demo projects to generate electricity using solar energy.
The camp started with many engaging activities. During the solar lab sessions, students were introduced to the different forms of energy available to meet society’s power demands and were given lectures on solar energy. Students learned the concept behind solar energy and why it is imperative for the society to embrace and adopt clean energy. Students further developed solar-powered phone chargers, boats and solar ovens.
In addition, the summer camp participants learned robotics and in relation to solar energy built a robotic solar station to explore the transfer, transformation, storage and dissipation of energy from the sun. During these sessions, students built a robotic trash collector and trash sorter. The robot trash collector cleans the environment and picks dirt while the trash sorter sorts dirt into various categories.
Also, students learned to build android based mobile applications using the MIT Mobile App inventor and they engaged in daily challenges and presented to improve their public speaking skills and confidence.
The 2018 STEM Summer Camp increased the girls’ competency in conducting scientific investigations and critical thinking/reasoning and increased their confidence and interest in conducting STEM activities.
