Three hundred Bahamian students between the ages of 5 and 16 head to camp over the coming months to soak up training and skills that could help create a better, more sustainable world. They will be among the beneficiaries of an agreement signed recently between the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and the Royal Caribbean Group.
Nassau students from underserved communities will take part in Oceans Camps designed to buoy the increasingly popular education foundation known as STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. STEM teaches a project-based approach to finding solutions that improve the planet. STEM campers will use underwater rovers to explore sea grass, learn about mega- and miniature fauna of the sea, and create solutions for the preservation of habitats.
The $450,000 grant from the Royal Caribbean Group also provides funds and equipment to train 20 local teachers whose qualifications are reviewed prior to the application process through a network of local partners. Global Conversations Development Centre and Project Limestone will work with PADF on the application process and will leverage their network of schools and teachers to promote broad community participation.
“We are proud of our longstanding partnership with the Royal Caribbean Group and delighted to create new opportunities for youth in The Bahamas to engage in STEM education,” said PADF Executive Director Katie Taylor. “These STEM camps will provide an interactive and hands-on STEM educational experience that ensures students, especially girls, gain curiosity, knowledge and practical skills for the 21st century. The challenge – and the opportunity ─ both groups agree is attracting more girls to science, engineering and math.
“STEM focuses on skills that are both cognitive and non-cognitive, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, communication skills and conflict resolution,” added Taylor, making it an important factor in future workforce development, according to the concept paper that led to the agreement between the foundation and the Royal Caribbean Group.
“Giving a group of students a project to work on that requires critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork sets them on a special course in life and could lead to all sorts of career directions and promising opportunities in the public or private sector,” said the Royal Caribbean Group Vice President of Government Relations for the Americas Russell Benford.
PADF called STEM activities tailored to the specific environment in which they are taught a key driver of economic sustainability.
“Our innovative STEM for Oceans program, for instance, teaches students how to use robotic kits to build underwater drones to help us better understand the ocean’s characteristics, such as levels of salinity, temperature, and direction of currents. This type of STEM exploration is perfectly suited for The Bahamas,” said Taylor.
