MCC offers free STEM camps to give students hands-on training during summer

Free summer programs give students hands-on experience with STEM subjects before the new school year.

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MCC STEM camps give students a head start before school

Free summer programs give students hands-on experience with STEM subjects before the new school year.

OMAHA, Neb. —

As students prepare to head back to the classroom, Metropolitan Community College is highlighting the benefits of hands-on learning through its summer STEM programs.

MCC offered 55 free STEM camps this summer across its four-county service area. The camps gave students opportunities to explore robotics, coding, engineering and other STEM subjects.

The programs are designed for students of different ages and experience levels. Younger students can work with Lego robotics, while high school students can take on more advanced challenges involving programming and robotics.

MCC said the goal is to keep students engaged during the summer while helping them build skills that can carry into the school year.

The hands-on approach allows students to apply what they are learning instead of simply reading about it.

Riley Prucha, an electrical engineering student who helps teach some of the programs, said early exposure can make STEM subjects less intimidating later.

“I wish I would have started it at their age,” Riley said. “It would have been a lot easier, especially like going into college.”

MCC said the programs can also help students discover potential career interests in fields such as robotics, computer science and smart manufacturing.

More free programming is expected through February thanks to grant funding.

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