LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- A special group of Southwest Florida students are using some of their time this summer to help protect the future of our paradise.
Some local girls are breaking barriers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
The joy and excitement in the faces of the young women are hard to miss. “I’m so excited. I’ve been waiting on this camp all summer,” says Isabella Stapp.
Florida Gulf Coast University hosts a camp designed just for girls to learn more about Science Technology Engineering and Math, also known as STEM.
Those are the fields that professors say needs more female minds. “This was really an opportunity to encourage girls to get involved with stem learn more about marine science,” says FGCU professor Molly Nation.
The 20 students, all high school aged, take the two-week experience to explore our area waterways, uncovering sediment cores and even looking for microplastics in water.
“It’s important to know how something that occurs so often how it affects our ecosystems which will eventually affect us,” says student Sydney LeBlanc.
The camp is free and takes place through Florida Gulf Coast University and their newly debuted water school.
Some students say the opportunity has opened their eyes to new possibilities. “I wanted to be a teacher my whole life, and then coming to the STEM program it’s brought up this new passion for marine science,” says LeBlanc.
“Keep on trying, and stick with because it’s something if you want to put your mind to it you can do it,” says Stapp.
If you’re interested in signing your child up for the camp next year, you can register on the FGCU website.
