This award-winning residential camp provides a unique opportunity for middle and high school students to experience college life at a top-tier research institution while developing critical STEM and communication skills through hands-on projects.
The Tapia Center STEM Camps at Rice University offer a 6-day/5-night residential experience for rising 8th-12th graders, emphasizing hands-on STEM projects, communication, and teamwork. Campers engage in a challenging curriculum focused on real-world problems, such as the environmental impacts of data centers. Activities include engineering contests like building heatsinks to understand heat transfer, designing efficient wind turbines, and constructing model carbon capture and storage reservoirs using everyday materials. Students also delve into computer science by programming algorithms for college admissions and learning techniques to hide secret messages in images. The program aims to provide a glimpse into college life, with participants living in dormitories, eating in dining halls, and attending classes on the Rice University campus. Mentorship is provided by current Rice University undergraduate and graduate students, and campers interact with professors and industry professionals. A key outcome is the development of public speaking skills through presentations of their STEM projects.
Campers wake up and eat breakfast with their counselor group, then have morning and afternoon instruction on a chosen STEM topic and communication, completing hands-on activities, preparing presentations, and interacting with guest speakers, followed by fun nightly activities.
The ideal student is a rising 8th-12th grader interested in STEM who wants to experience college life, develop communication and teamwork skills, and engage with challenging, real-world STEM projects.
Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX 77005
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