From rockets to solar systems, campers pick up skills needed for STEAM careers

Near the end of a weeklong Community Sisterhood STEAM Camp, Justin Bergeron explained that he had already learned a valuable lesson — sometimes you have to use the resources you have to get what you want.

Fellow camper Sam Darvile agreed, saying a project that required the campers to create a car using only cardboard, rubber bands, tape and a straw was “harder than I thought.”

The two 12-year-olds were joined by 28 other campers at the First Pilgrim Calvary Baptist Church in Geismar for the hands on camp that taught skills needed for science, technology, engineering, arts and math jobs.

The camp was one of two camps held by the Community Sisterhood, camp director Rochelle Darville said.

The second camp focused on STEM activities at the River Road African American Museum Schoolhouse in Donaldsonville.

Darville said both camps provided fun and challenging activities for children in a safe setting. She said volunteers and donations made the camps possible. In Geismar, Darville was helped by Nadine Stewart of STEM Divas. First Pilgrim Calvary Baptist Church provided facilities and scholarships to youths to attend camp.

In one corner of the Geismar church hall, elementary-age students worked on painting the parts needed to create a solar system model.

Artist Terry Dunbar shared painting techniques with the children. Dunbar said he was impressed with the students’ attention to detail and willingness to follow directions.

Following directions and thinking about each detail also was important for Sam and Justin as they worked on a model rocket. 

The measured twice before cutting out parts of the rocket.

“We had to learn how to make it work,” Austin said about the projects he’d worked on earlier in the week, including creating a solar cell and a model Mars Rover.

Shell Chemical Geismar site Black Employee Network volunteers visited the Donaldsonville camp teaching the campers about items produced by their plant site such as detergent. They also made ice cream. Musician John Gray also stopped to talk about music.