From Beaufort County Police Activities League

 

The Beaufort County Police Activities League (BC PAL) will offer a four-week day camp focusing on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. The camp will begin on June 13. The day camp will be held weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Warren Field Airport in Washington and will feature aviation, boating, fitness, swimming and horse riding activities. Space is limited to just 14 students and applications are being accepted on a first come, first serve basis.

This unique, four-week experience will expose under-represented youth in the area, regardless of race or sex, to STEM concepts and careers, positive life-skills and decision-making alternatives.

To qualify for this special day camp, students must meet the following criteria. Students must be in the sixth, seventh or eighth grade; must have a positive attitude; must show a keen interest in boating and aviation and must be referred for the program by the Boys & Girls Club, the Washington Housing Authority, JCPC or another faith-based operation that is a BC PAL partner.

During the first two weeks of the camp, students will be presented with an overview of aerospace careers and flight aerodynamics. The syllabus for this course will meet the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) criteria necessary to be designated as an Aviation Career Education camp (ACE). Students will get hands-on experience by actually building a glider and a hot air balloon. Dillon’s Aviation will provide students with an opportunity to fly an airplane with a flight instructor. The Little Washington Sky Diving School will discuss the wonders of skydiving and helicopter flight. Field trips to the local military bases are included in the program.

Week three of the camp will focus on boating and marine ecology. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will teach students a course on boating and kayak safety and explain the science of why boats are able to float. Sound Rivers and the North Carolina Estuarium will team up to provide students with an educational presentation about marine ecology and a river boat tour, a little kayaking fun will be added. The Rum Runners Diving School will introduce students to snorkeling and diving.

Representatives from various law enforcement and emergency response services, including the Beaufort County Community College Police Training Academy, will discuss educational requirements to become a first responder and their reasons for selecting this career field. This year, the camp added a new partner, The Rocking Horse Ranch, a certified horseback riding facility, that will provide an equine ground school and a horseback riding introductory course to day camp students.

Closing week of camp will consist of a sailboat course conducted by the Little Washington Sailing School. Their program will teach students about the STEM aspects of sailboat operation and how to sail on the Pamlico River. The similarities between aviation and boating aerodynamic principles will be emphasized.

One key component of this special four-week camp is daily swim lessons. The swimming facilities owned by the Washington Parks and Recreation and the Greenville Aquatic Center will be used for this event. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to students free of charge through a program run by Care-O-World Enrichment Center.

Camp is free to all students who qualify and are among the 14 students who will be accepted. This is made possible by a grant from the Burroughs Welcome Foundation

For more information about the program or to obtain an application, please call the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce at 252-946-9168 or First Bank (downtown Washington) at 252-946-4171.