August 21, 2008

IBM hosts technology camp for boys

Last week IBM Silicon Valley hosted its first technology camp for boys that attend Herman Intermediate School, J.W. Fair Junior High, and Sylvanale Middle School. The camp is held at IBM’s Almaden Research Center on Harry Road.

IBM Researcher Rick DiPietro talks to the students about the properties of nitrogen. The boys learned about the chemical make-up of solids, liquids and gases to understand the chemical reactions when they are combined. They also learned how nitrogen reacted to heat. Photos courtesy IBM Almaden Research Center

The campers were asked to use their imaginations, science and basic engineering principles to extract and examine the DNA of strawberries, solve crimes with skills they learn during a forensics workshop, save a fictitious planet from ecological disaster playing IBM’s new PowerUp game, and experience the celebration of do-it-yourself science, engineering and arts and craft activities aboard the Maker Faire Mobile.

The campers were also encouraged to “go green” by learning how science and technology are being used to aid the worldwide campaign to save the environment.

A report issued this month by Tapping America’s Potential (TAP), a coalition of 16 leading business organizations, took America to task for its lack of progress in increasing the number of students earning bachelors degrees in science, technology, engineering and math. As a result, TAP says the nation “faces a critical talent gap” that is preventing it from keeping pace with foreign competition.

In an experiment, DiPietro shows how some materials react to heat to excited students.

The goal of this camp and 39 others that IBM is hosting across the U.S., Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America is to help kids develop a keen interest in science, technology, math and engineering and to increase the awareness of the career opportunities available in these fields.

The four-day camp offered a host of fun combined with practical education. For example, Monday’s activities included building and programming robots using Lego Mindstorm Robotics kits; building solar ovens out of pizza boxes and using them to cook s’mores outside; hands-on exploration of liquids and solids and the creation of a polymer goo called “Glurch.”

Tuesday’s activities were the aforementioned extraction and examination of strawberry DNA and a two-hour forensics workshop. On Thursday, the campers worked on do-it-yourself activities aboard the Maker Faire Mobile; an ecological challenge with IBM’s PowerUp game and activity with liquid nitrogen.

On Friday, the last day, the campers spent the morning with cool chemistry and followed their week up with a closing ceremony with presentations showing parents, volunteers and IBM employees what they learned.