PWCS
is
the
fortunate
recipient
of
a
Department
of
Defense
Education
Activity
(DoDEA)
Military
Support
Grant.
The
DoDEA
grant
supports
the
social-emotional
wellbeing
of
students
as
well
as
developing
and
nurturing
an
interest
in
science,
technology,
engineering,
and
mathematics
(STEM)
activities
and
achievement.
Due
to
the
funding
and
support
permitted
by
this
grant,
military-connected
students
from
Ashland,
Henderson,
and
Old
Bridge
Elementary
Schools,
Porter
Traditional
School,
Potomac
Middle
School,
and
Forest
Park
High
School
were
able
to
participate
in
several
STEM
opportunities.
Elementary
school
students
attended
Camp
Invention
CONNECT,
a
virtual
version
of
Camp
Invention.
Originally,
the
students
were
to
attend
in-person
camps
held
at
their
local
elementary
schools.
Due
to
the
effects
of
COVID-19,
the
camp
took
place
virtually.
Each
family
received
a
box
of
supplies
and
participated
in
virtual
check-ins
each
day
of
the
scheduled
camp
week.
The
students
participated
in
activities
such
as
building
a
light-emitting
diode
(LED)
flower,
building
their
own
sports
stadium,
and
taking
apart
a
robot.
Adrienne Stewart, a parent of a third-grade student at Ashland Elementary had positive feedback about the program. "Our daughter had an amazing opportunity this summer with Camp Invention CONNECT where she was able to build, innovate, design, and engineer different projects strengthening her knowledge in science. We are grateful for the opportunity! She had so much fun meeting with her teacher and peers daily via Zoom to share their inventions!"
After Virginia moved to phase three, 10 military students participated in an in-person camp hosted by Prince William Forest Park. The two-day Spy Camp allowed students to learn about the training conducted by the Office of Strategic Service (OSS) in the 1940s. Students practiced knot tying, first aid, codes, ciphers, Morse code, and they hiked and navigated in the woods of the national park.
PWCS DoDEA Military Grant Project Director Courtney Power elaborated on the goals of the summer programs by sharing, "One of our goals is to help military-connected students bond with each other and our greater PWCS community all while having fun and learning. The STEM opportunities this summer met that goal and then some."
For more information on the program, please visit the PWCS DoDEA Grants information page.