Camp offers insights on renewable energy

Jul 18 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Lois Kindle Tampa Tribune, Fla.


July 18--RUSKIN -- Students attending an energy camp at Hillsborough Community College's SouthShore campus recently were charged with enthusiasm about alternative fuels.

They made simple windmills that generated electricity using wind power and solar cookers fashioned from pizza boxes and aluminum foil. They also experimented with hydrogen-fueled model cars.

Those were among the hands-on activities offered to students attending the second annual energy camp sponsored by the Florida Advanced Technological Education Center and the Florida Energy Systems Consortium at the Ruskin campus. The activities were accompanied by classroom instruction by University of South Florida physics professor Denis Karaiskaj and graduate student Jorge Monreal.

While having fun seeing the results of their efforts, students from Beth Shields Middle School's AVID program were introduced to renewable energy sources and shown real-life connections to emerging technologies.

"I like science," said Emely Ramirez of Ruskin, 13. "We get to make things that help us understand better. It's interesting and makes me think I might want to be a scientist."

Brian Sanchez, 13, also of Ruskin, agreed.

"I like technology. It's something that will prepare me for college," he said. "I really like all the hands-on activities. They're a lot of fun."

Both students attended the camp last summer and liked it so much they returned this year. Now they are mentoring younger, first-time students.

Their comments were exactly what organizers like hearing.

"FLATE's mission is to ensure that Florida has a well-prepared workforce for advance and emerging technologies," said Nina Stokes, project manager for the consortium and energy camp coordinator. "FLATE and the consortium are working toward developing an energy efficiency specialization to become part of the existing engineering technology degree program at colleges statewide."

Stokes said the key to the camp experience is to get kids excited about STEM subjects -- science, technology, engineering and math.

"The production of renewable energy will inevitably increase, and camps like this bring complex concepts to life in an understandable way," she said. "We're hoping these kids will go home and talk to their parents about what they learned."

Hillsborough County Schools covered the $50-per-child cost of the camp, which took place July 9-12. Twenty-five students enrolled.

FLATE offers camps and tours of local manufacturing facilities throughout the year. For information, call (813) 259-6587.

 

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