(ThyBlackMan.com) STEM and STEAM summer teacher at America’s Little Leaders Jr. Academy”A robust and growing economic future for children of color and culture depends on the building of a strong, diverse educational system based on the diversity of STEAM and STEM. This builds a diverse workforce in STEM fields for people of color and culture.” William Jackson, M.Ed. Edward Waters College
The explosion of STEM or STEAM camps represents the seriousness for the need to teach elementary through high school students the importance and value of Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics. The integration of the Arts includes an aspect of creativity and innovation that helps aid in transformational thinking for students of color and culture.
Because of the growth of careers in the dynamic areas STEM, education is changing the direction of instruction in all areas of education. No longer can summer camps be places of just coordinated “fun,” but there should be instructional academic time as well that can be fun and hands-on. This instructional time in camp is a chance to “teach,” model, inspire, engage and show children of color and culture they have no limits to learn and contribute to 
society using technology, hands on projects, field trips and other resources for “exposure” to new learning opportunities for children that may lack exposure and connections.
Ask your campers these questions for relevancy
1. Who has been to the beach?
2. Who has been to the library?
3. Who has been to the museum?
4. Who has been to the local water front?
5. Who has been to City Hall?
6. Who has been to a ballet or opera?
And watch for the hands that do not go up. Watch for those that lack exposure and there are your digital field trips and interactive digital road trips online. These are the areas that children of color and culture need access to using technology.
During his terms of office for the state of Florida Governor Rick Scott has made expanding science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education one of the states top priorities. President Obama as well on a national level has stated the importance of STEM to prepare the future workforce to be the innovators and problems solvers our nation will need.
Across Florida families are getting ready to go back to school, parents are preparing for the academic rigor and seriousness of upcoming instruction. STEM and STEAM are full on the agendas of educational pathways to prepare millions of students from K to 12 how to apply critical and higher order thinking skills. Scott has insisted more STEM education would help prepare students for future jobs and those jobs that have not even been created.
Statements by Scott, “With demand for online job openings in STEM fields up by more than 30 percent over the past 5 years, it’s clear that a background in science, technology, engineering and math will provide families in the Sunshine State with greater job opportunities.” Summer camps cannot be excluded in the educational empowerment that can be provided campers of color and culture.
As an instructor at Edward Waters College teaching Educational Technology, Social Media and STEAM, as well as teaching in elementary public education at a newly established STEM squared medical magnet school the signs are clear that students of color and culture must be involved, if they are not they will fall further behind in preparation to compete globally .
The move to integrating STEAM means professional development programs will have to change from just lecture and leisure to hands on interactive and engaged projects to prepare teachers to be facilitators and researchers and increase student lead instruction. Summer camps are building a vested interest in the future success of children of color and culture in science and technology based industries in the state of Florida. In order for this to happen summer camps must work together and provide increased learning that is interactive.
My summer was my professional development working at America’s Little Leaders Summer Camp and school focusing on STEM and STEAM education for inner city children of color and culture. The first summer camp of this type on the Northside of Jacksonville, Florida to the best of my knowledge. Next summer will be even more awesome with additional integrated technology, field trips and increased staff with diverse background in: STEM STEAM STREAM and CSTEAM.
Here is a video of just one of the projects building connections integrating Art.
The Black Superheroes – students draw themselves as Superheroes with awesome powers to save the world.
America’s Little Leaders Jr Academy K-6
Mrs. Abbie Sanks, Director
Web http://alleaders.org/gallery/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/AmericasLittleLeaders/
@AmericasLittleLeaders
Black Superheroes Video by 4th, 5th and 6th grade students
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGIt1PreR9g
Staff Writer; William D. Jackson
Find out more about this talented writer over at; OCS For Education.