Twenty high school students from counties in Maryland and Pennsylvania had the opportunity to participate in the 2024 Frostburg State University STEM Summit on FSU’s main campus June 18-21.
During this four-day, three-night event, students were engaged in STEM instruction and problem-solving as they reinforced and expanded their knowledge in these fields and stimulated their interest in a STEM career by networking with science professionals. This event also helped Frostburg expand outreach and engagement with high school STEM coordinators, teachers, and administrators across the region and gave the University the chance to showcase the STEM opportunities available at FSU.
Upon arrival, student participants were provided a project briefing on the development of a regional sports center planned for Allegany County and were tasked with proposing sustainable spaces within, or attributes of, that facility. Over the course of three days, students also received instruction and conducted experiments in STEM fields, participated in two field trips and heard from guest speakers Robert Smith, Sabrina Ridenour and Dr. Greg Wood.
On the final day of the summit, teams of STEM students presented their recommendations for the sports complex to more than 100 audience members consisting of their families, FSU administrators, faculty, staff and teaching assistants and current and prospective donors.
“The students clearly demonstrated the quality of instruction they get in their high schools, which makes the STEM Summit at FSU more rewarding for the faculty members and teaching assistants,” said summit co-director, Dr. Keith Terry.
Judges for the event included Katrina Healy, associate at EwingCole; Greg Heflin, Sunburst Hospitality; Heather Hartman, education director at Evergreen Heritage Center; and Cassie Wolfe, electrical engineer at Whitman Requardt Associates.
The purpose of FSU’s annual STEM Summit is to develop more interest among young people in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as an academic area of interest and as a profession. Dr. Linda Steele joined Terry as co-directors of the 2024 STEM Summit.
Visit https://www.frostburg.edu/stem-summit/2024-photos-and-videos.php to view a photo gallery of this year’s event.
