American Indian Youth Embrace STEM at Red Butte Garden

Earth Connections Camp

Written by: Amee Andreason

2016 Earth Connections CampOn June 22, 2016, Earth Connections Camp partners joined American Indian youth at Red Butte Garden in Salt Lake City for the fourth annual camp, which aims to spark a lasting interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among American Indian youth while reconnecting them with their cultural heritage. The camp slogan for 2016 is “Immersing STEM into Native Culture.”

The camp had roughly 50 American Indian students (K-12) from across the state to spend the day learning about educational resources and diversity programs. The student’s experienced STEM-related activities and American Indian traditions surrounded by Red Butte Garden’s exquisite botanical garden and arboretum. Students experienced STEM in motion with 1-3 dimension bathymetry, astronomy, dam building exercises, medical sciences, emergency readiness and disaster preparedness.

It’s a great program and exciting to see it grow. The students thoroughly enjoy all of the STEM activities while they reconnected to their culture and learned from the instructors that have been dedicated to make Earth Connections Camp a success each year.

“This is a great partnership among other agencies and to focus all your energy for these students,” said Dr. Chuck Foster, Utah State Office of Education, while thanking everyone for the support and willingness to serve. “This was an opportunity for students to learn and comprehend many of the presentations and to seek knowledge for future goals.”

There will be another Earth Connections Camp at the Bluff Community Center in Southern Utah on August 11, 2016. Plans are being made for next years annual event.

Earth Connections Camp is a Utah State Office of Education Title VII program in partnership with the Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake, Red Butte Garden, U.S. Department of the Interior agencies, U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies, Utah Museum of Natural History, Utah Division of Water Resources, Utah Division of Air Quality, and University of Utah Astronomy.

For more photos and activity blogs throughout the day, you can check out #ECC2016 on Twitter.

Published on July 08, 2016