Student Success Update
Volunteers Needed for NSM Block Party
Back by popular demand, the Office of First Year Programs is hosting the NSM Block Party to welcome NSM incoming freshmen and returning students. Last year, over 350 students attended the event.
NSM Block Party
Sunday, August 20, 2023
7–9 p.m.
Grassy Rotunda Area in Front of SR1
We need volunteers to supervise the activities and engage with students, no heavy lifting or strenuous activity required! See the link below to sign up to volunteer. Shifts start at 6 p.m. with set up and run hourly through 9:30 p.m. All NSM Block Party volunteers will receive our newly designed 2023 NSM t-shirts!
Support the Event as a Sponsor!
In addition to volunteers, we are also looking for individual or department sponsors. Sponsorship options are available from $25 and up. For example, last year, a sponsor provided popsicles for the event while another sponsor provided rental of an inflatable obstacle course. If you are interested in a sponsorship, please email Dr. Donna Stokes (dstokes@uh.edu) for more details. Feel free to share this information with others who might be interested in joining the fun. Contact Dr. Stokes if you have any questions!
UH STEM Center Hosts Summer Camps for Middle School Students
The UH STEM Center hosted numerous camps in June for elementary, middle, and high school students. The students were exposed to various STEM content and to the programming offered at UH.
- The Space City STEAM Camp, held June 19–23, afforded middle school students the opportunity to explore a variety of STEAM topics and enriching activities geared toward individual growth and team learning, all while building essential life skills.
- The iTECH-STEM for Elementary School Students, held June 5–9, provided innovative programming on Computer Science and Technology topics including Coding & Programming, 3D-Printing & Modeling, Game Design & Development (Roblox), Digital Storytelling, Video Production, and STEM Experiments. This camp was a collaborative effort between the College of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction and UH STEM Center.
- The CodeCougars - Girls & Boys Coding Academy for Middle and High School, held June 12–16, provided experiences for participants to learn WEB, HTML, CSS, Game Development (Scratch & Roblox Studio), and Python programming. The camp, supported by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Data Science Institute at UH, brought in experts from HPE to discuss artificial intelligence and cyber security, areas of national priority.
- The High School BioTechnology Academy introduced high school students to molecular biology, drug discovery, protein building, docking scenarios, COVID-19 protein, cancer protein, and algorithms and software for protein docking. The academy, held June 15–23, was supported by the College of Education, NSM, and the UH STEM Center.
teachHOUSTON Updates
teachHOUSTON hosts Cougar Summer STEM Camp
teachHOUSTON faculty member Perri Segura hosted a week-long Cougar Summer STEM Camp at UH and welcomed students from Houston ISD’s Refugee School Impact Program and Galena Park ISD’s Migrant Worker Program with STEM challenges and activities taught by students and alumni of the teachHOUSTON program. The camp encouraged campers to further their education after high school and ensured access to STEM experiences.
Full STEM Ahead! Camp Includes Pre-Camp Professional Development Institute for Pre-Service Teachers
teachHOUSTON faculty Ramona Mateer and Amanda Campos hosted the two-week Full STEM Ahead! Professional Development and Mentoring Institute for aspiring secondary pre-service STEM teachers. The Institute prepared 14 pre-service teachers, including one high school junior counselor, to serve as camp counselors and teachers during the Full STEM Ahead! Camp. Pre-service teachers were mentored by three teachHOUSTON alums along with teachHOUSTON faculty. Sessions included the development of culturally responsive relationship-building icebreakers, inquiry lessons, campus tours, and visits to Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH and the Campus Observatory.
Mateer and Campos also directed the Full STEM Ahead! Camp, which offered junior scientists five fun-filled, themed days of hands-on activities involving environmental science, biology (including dissections), physics, technology, and engineering design. The camp, which hosted 50 middle school students June 26–30, brought 6th–9th grade students together from districts across the Houston area to explore multiple STEM-related activities specifically related to Texas Essential Knowledge Skills. All activities support student success in science and math while allowing students to learn about UH as an option in their future. The camp offers scholarships and morning and afternoon extensions to meet the needs of diverse groups of students.