Elon Explorers is one of the Student STEM Enrichment Programs (SSEP) in North Carolina.
Elon University welcomed 26 new “explorers” from June 16 to 20 for the Elon Explorers Bug Camp, a STEM-focused day camp for middle school students in Alamance County.
Elon Explorers introduces students to the life of a scientist as they catch insects around campus and Alamance County, including at the pond behind Schar Center, Loy Farm, Great Bend Park and Cedarock Park.
The camp was formed four years ago by Jen Hamel, associate professor of biology, and Mark Enfield, associate professor of education. Enfield’s research area focuses on how students learn to do science and “what it means to be a scientist.”
“When we focus on the content ideas, like parts of a cell, or anything like that, that’s disengaging for a lot of students. But when you focus on how you go about figuring out what a cell is made of, that’s a lot more engaging for a lot of people,” said Enfield.
Elon Explorers is one of the Student STEM Enrichment Programs (SSEP) in North Carolina and received a grant of $147,570 from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund in September 2021. The grant allowed for the program to expand into year-round programming, such as the monthly Science Slices science cafes that allow students to become more familiar with science concepts while building connections with one another and their families.
“If we are a good community partner, it’s what we should be doing as a university,” said Hamel. “It’s a wonderful thing, particularly with middle school students, to bring them onto a university campus because middle grades are the age when students first begin thinking or not thinking about college.”
Hamel says the partnership with the Alamance Burlington School System aligns with other community engagement efforts across the university, including the It Takes A Village Project and Elon Academy.
“When we started this camp, there were no informal STEM programs serving middle school students in Alamance County,” said Hamel. “Now I think there are a couple, but we might still be the only free one and I think that’s really important.”
The camp involves not only Alamance County students but also teachers.
“It’s an amazing experience,” said Jenn Russell ’98, who taught in ABSS for 26 years and now teaches in Orange County. “It’s neat to see them engage with each other and try something new that they haven’t done and, of course, it’s amazing when they come back.”
