APSU's SOARing with Mathematics camp ignites high school students' passion for STEM
(Posted on Monday, June 5, 2023)
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - From designing makeshift parachutes and helicopters to launching model rockets, area high school students immersed themselves in hands-on learning during Austin Peay State University’s free SOARing with Mathematics summer camp, hosted from May 30-June 2.
The program has been a fixture within the Department of Mathematics and Statistics since 2011 and returned to campus this year for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Andy Wilson and Dr. Nick Kirby, Austin Peay mathematics professors, coordinated the activities with help from graduate teaching assistants Jessica Potter, Katherine Wiggins and Leah Winter.
“We want the kids to get involved in some hands-on math in the real world because sometimes it can be kind of mundane to get stuck in solving equations,” Wilson said. “It’s awesome to be back, and it’s the most fun thing to have kids get excited about education and math. I love their creativity, enthusiasm and designs, and the way they think about things is fascinating.”
Eighteen students participated in this year’s camp, and they had plenty of opportunities to put their critical thinking skills to the test. As they worked with parachutes, helicopters and rockets, they used computer software, graphing calculators and motion detectors to fully analyze the data from each project.
“For example, we had them make parachutes out of parts from kitchen trash bags and
string, drop them from the top of the Sundquist Building and measure the time it took
to float down,” Kirby said. “The aim was to have two competing things they were trying
to optimize: the time it takes to float down, but also what we called the cost – which
was really just the area of the parachute.”
Afterward, the group discussed and voted on the two strongest parachute designs – which they incorporated into a model rocket launch at the Farm and Environmental Education Center.
“I was intrigued by the promises of using computer-assisted design, as well as the fact that we were going to tinker around with experiments and have hands-on experience,” said Northeast High School junior Alex Dong. “During this camp, I was able to further my experience, learn how to research different subjects and more accurately pinpoint the parts that would be most important when making a parachute.”
The camp also allowed students to build connections with each other while discovering a passion for different areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
“I thought it would be a good experience and a way to meet other people who like math and make new friends,” said Hume-Fogg High School sophomore Anna Qian. “I’m interested in going into a STEM field in college because math has always been one of my strengths, and I think challenging myself to get better at it will be valuable in my future.”
Wilson said students who attend the SOARing with Mathematics camp often end up going
to college for a STEM education, and many of them choose to attend Austin Peay.
“There are a lot of kids who stay in their high schools and don’t venture out into the big world, so getting them on campus is really important,” he said. “Sometimes we’ll see them in the halls years later as computer science, math or chemistry majors, and that’s always an amazing feeling.”
Kirby said one of the program’s significant benefits is that it offers individualized instruction and activities for students while giving them a glimpse of university life.
“I think it’s also important to give students a chance to see what being on campus is like and to have a positive experience in an academic setting,” Kirby said. “We’re the university here, and it’s our responsibility to open ourselves up to the community.”