This summer, hundreds of K-12 students descended upon the Georgia Tech campus to participate in the summer enrichment opportunities offered by CEISMC (Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing). A unique department within the institute, CEISMC’s overarching goals are to provide K-12 students in Georgia with premier learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as they seek their place in the modern world.

Georgia Tech’s GoSTEM program is coordinated by CEISMC, in collaboration with the Gwinnett County Public Schools, the Office of Institute Diversity at Georgia Tech, and local community organizations. GoSTEM’s primary mission is to strengthen the pipeline of Latino K-12 students into post-secondary STEM education.   For each of the last two years, in partnership with ProjectGrad USA and ProjectGrad Atlanta, GoSTEM has provided opportunities for 24 underrepresented students per year from Gwinnett County Public Schools and Atlanta Public Schools to participate in a two-week Pursuing Urban Sustainability at Home (PUSH) summer institute. Through this institute, students became knowledgeable about local issues of urban sustainability and technology, while developing leadership skills. At the conclusion of the program, students designed and built a gingerbread prototype of a sustainable house which was presented during a showcase to parents and community members. 

Also during the summer of 2015, the Georgia Intern-Fellowships for Teachers (GIFT), and its high school student researchers program, Research, Experiment, Analyze and Learn (R.E.A.L.) provided opportunities for 60 teachers and 45 students to gain first hand, in-depth experiences in STEM fields.  Through placements in cutting edge research laboratories and businesses throughout Georgia, teachers and students spent four to seven weeks gaining insight about engineering and research concepts not readily available in K-12 settings.  Initiated by CEISMC in 1991, GIFT averages 60 to 75 teacher placements per summer in STEM internships.  R.E.A.L., in its 11th year, averages 30 to 35 high school student placements in research labs on the Georgia Tech campus. Select high school students in more rural areas of Georgia also intern in businesses, gaining STEM experience through community based programs.

Students from neighboring Metro Atlanta communities were also able to participate in CEISMC’s summer P.E.A.K.S. program (Programs for Enrichment and Accelerated Knowledge in STEM). During the summer of 2015, 406 students from middle schools and 186 from high schools enrolled in these hands-on, interactive learning experiences in STEM on the Georgia Tech campus.  

So, learning was in the air this summer in Midtown, and our university’s streets were full of excited K-12 students exploring everything from the science of roller coasters, to Wall Street on Peachtree, to underwater robots and current sustainability challenges in Atlanta.  Georgia Tech celebrates learning for students of all ages!