CLINTON, Tenn. — School's out for Summer, but students in Clinton are still busy learning.
Thanks to a partnership with Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), Clinton City Schools is hosting its first Summer STEM Camp, free of cost to students.
"This is helping to develop the future workforce of our country. The students here are learning problem-solving skills that are going to aid them not just in academics, but in problems they may encounter in their life," said Jennifer Tyrell, a Section Manager at ORAU.
While the 50 participants are from all three elementary schools in the district, organizers decided to hold the camp at North Clinton Elementary School, where there is a large number of impoverished students.
ORAU Master Teacher Emily Butterfield said that's a demographic that tends to suffer from summer learning loss at a significantly higher rate than children who aren't impoverished.
"This gives them an enriching environment for the summer time. There's less learning loss, and we give them experiences that they normally wouldn't have access to," Butterfield said.
Organizers already have plans for next year's STEM Camp, and they hope to make it an annual tradition.
