This summer brought the STEAM! Over the last three months, Digi-Bridge offered a variety of high quality STEAM camps and programs to students in the Charlotte area. Check out what STEAM scholars were able to do during our summer offerings!

STEAM Summer Camp

In our second year of Summer STEAM Camp, Digi-Bridge hosted 20 students from three schools for five weeks of immersive STEAM experiences and academic enrichment. This camp is funded through the North Carolina Department of Instruction and we are so grateful for MeckEd for being our intermediary agency in leadership.

The impact of these 5 weeks was profound. Students formed valuable connections with their teachers and fellow campers and were able to see themselves as current and future leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math.

Week 1

In week 1, campers were introduced to the “tech for good” project. This project involves 3D printing the cane tip of the future for Metrolina Association for the Blind.

This week included:

• Enventys Partners and Vaxa Media teaching campers about innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Touring the Novant Health Innovation Lab and learning about 3D printed limbs and using virtual and augmented reality in medicine.
• Attending a Vision Awareness training with Metrolina Association for the Blind and met middle schoolers with vision impairments
• A visit to Clayworks for a hands-on design practice

Week 2

Students spent week 2 digging into 3D design with Making Things Charlotte and learning about urban farming.

This week’s activities included:

• A visit to Passport HQ to learn how tech is used to make cities livable and equitable and were challenged to build their own ideal city.
• A visit to Discovery Place Science
• Finding out that working in tech means free snacks and bringing your dog to work.

Week 3

Our campers put the A in STEAM in week three! From stop motion animation to pixel art to data visualization, Arts and Tech week was all about creativity and innovation.

They wrapped up the week by exploring everything creative at Camp North End with visits to Mign Design, Mac Fly Fresh, YVY Charlotte, and Ally’s new TM Studio.

Week 4

Week 4 of Digi-Bridge’s STEAM summer camp was full of motion! Campers studied various aspects of force, motion and friction.

Potions & Pixels brought Mario Kart Live for the students to experience. And, campers had a field trip to Carowinds.

Week 5 and the STEAM Camp Showcase

Campers spent week 5 working in small groups to make presentation boards and slides recapping one of the overall themes from the camp. They were able to show their hard work in a culminating showcase event for friends, educators and community members.

During the event, Digi-Bridge was able to present 3D printed cane tips to Metrolina Association for the Blind for them to distribute to individuals in our community who have vision impairment.
Students spent all five weeks of camp learning skills in 3D modeling and 3D printing in order to apply that knowledge in design for human good.

Students were able to take a final field trip to the Innovation Barn, where they learned about Sustainability and the Circular Economy.

We’d like to thank our exceptional teaching staff for making this an outstanding experience: Mr. Mario Torrence, Ms. Kadesha Estrich and assistant Ms. Allure Gee.

Other Programming

Walter G. Byers Camp

Digi-Bridge’s summer programming started off strong with the Walter G Byers Summer STEAM Camp. Campers were rising 5th and 6th graders who were chosen by the school to participate in a multi-year STEAM program.

Campers explored a variety of STEAM topics through hands on projects during the summer camp week. These included:

• daily engineering challenges
  understanding and modeling an aquatic ecosystem
• designing unique video games using the program Mega Man Maker
• producing stop motion animation films
• exploring pixel art
• building a cell phone holder with wood and tools

Thanks Catawba Riverkeeper, Potions & Pixels, She Built This City and Dottie Rose for facilitating activities and AvidXchange Foundation, Barrings, Merancas Foundation, and Communities In Schools for sponsoring the camp.

She Can Code

The future is female. This past month, Digi-Bridge partnered with CodeNinjas Concord and Dottie Rose Foundation to make that statement a reality in the Charlotte area. Together, we hosted She Can Code, three weeks of STEAM programming for female STEAM scholars.

During the week of July 19th, Digi-Bridge hosted a week of camp activities with She Can Code. Campers participated in a variety of activities, including:

• LEGO WeDo Group Engineering Challenges
• 3D printing
• Exploring sustainability and hydroponic gardening

Digi-Bridge is to be part of this program which impacts the lives of female STEAM scholars. Together, we can bridge the gender divide in tech and make the world more equitable!

As we reflect on the summer programming, we’re grateful to all our partners who made these initiatives possible. Stay tuned as we have even more exciting STEAM programming coming your way this fall!