WORCESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR STEM SUMMER PROGRAMS

Worcester County Economic Development (WCED) is now accepting applications for the 2017 STEM summer enrichment programs. These programs provide exceptional opportunities for Worcester County students ages 12-24 to explore local career paths. Applications are available online at www.chooseworcester.org/STEM and are due no later than March 31. 

“Our unique program continues to gain recognition for the career pathway linkages it provides for students in Worcester County,” WCED Director Merry Mears said.

“Our STEM camp and internship program are recognized by businesses and entrepreneurs in our community, as a workforce development pipeline that offers them the opportunity to home-grow their future workforce,” STEM summer programs coordinator Fawn Mete said.

The Reach for the Stars STEM Camp is an eight-day computer science and engineering summer camp offering instruction by engineers from NASA and the private sector, in conjunction with a team of qualified educators. Offered at The Red Doors Community Center on 3rd Street in Ocean City, it is open to students enrolled in grades 6-8 in the 2016/2017 school year. There is no cost to participate in the camp, and transportation from centralized points in the county is provided. Space is limited to 20 students. Camp runs July 17-20 and July 24-27.

The Worcester STEM Leadership Cohort is designed for students enrolled in grades 9-11 in the 2016/2017 school year. Participants meet on Thursdays in July for professional development sessions on a variety of career readiness topics, including resume writing, interview skills, workplace communication, conflict resolution, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Students will receive mentorship from several STEM workforce partners.

The STEP UP Internship Program provides high school seniors, college students, and graduate students with opportunities to gain hands-on work experience in STEM related career fields. The 2017 interns will be given opportunities to work in healthcare settings, tech companies, engineering firms, environmental science agencies and digital media production companies. Students’ skills and interests will be matched with the needs of the employers, so they are able to apply their classroom studies to real life tasks. Interns in the previous years of the program exercised their new skills at Hardwire LLC, NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Martin Physical Therapy, Atlantic General Hospital, Peninsula Cardiology, West Ocean City Injury and Illness Center, Bel-Art, TR Group, Studio Codeworks, D3Corp, Full City Media, Sprout Creatives, Maryland Coastal Bays Program, State Ventures, LLC, OceanCity.com, Habitat for Humanity, EA Science Technology and Engineering, Eastern Shore Physical Therapy, and more. Interns work 100 hours total from June 1 to July 27 and earn $11/hour.

The application process for each program is competitive. Applications can be submitted online through March 31. For more information, call Mete at 410-289-5576 or visit www.chooseworcester.org/STEM.