New for 2016: Parnell STEM
Perhaps the biggest “new to Boxwell” in 2016 is the change at Camp Parnell. If you haven’t been following, Parnell’s last summer was 1998, which means that camp has basically been dormant for over 15 years! This year though, that status changed.
This summer Camp Parnell, or more specifically, the dining hall at Camp Parnell, reopened for Scouts. The dining hall has been re-classified as the Parnell STEM Center. For those who don’t know, STEM is the newest fad in the world of education and is an acronym for Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. A STEM emphasis is designed to put training in fields that will most help students compete in 21st century society. For Scouting, this means the merit badges of Engineering, Digital Technology, Electronics and the like. (You can find the specifics behind the BSA STEM program here: http://www.scouting.org/stem/Awards/BoyScouts.aspx)
So, what does this mean for Parnell? The Parnell STEM Center is the dining hall transformed into a STEM Merit Badge center. There are four teaching areas and a conference space. The STEM Center offers merit badges in those mentioned above as well as Robotics and Nuclear Science (and more!). In many ways, the STEM Center is another way to attract older Scouts to what Scouting has to offer by using a dedicated space for those merit badges, not unlike COPE or the Boat Harbor. What is different is that there are computers everywhere!
The photos below give a glimpse of the STEM Center is like. There are lab coats for the Scouts. Kits to practice electronics. Little robots to program. Desktop Computers as far as the eye can see. And, of course, Parnell Dining Hall being used again for the first time since the summer of 1998.
One of four teaching areas inside Parnell Dining Hall. This one is dedicated to Robotics and Nuclear Science.
One of the programmable robots that Scouts use at the STEM Center.
Kerry Parker checking out one of the four teaching areas inside Parnell Dining Hall. This one is dedicated to programming.
That is a crazy, wild change for camp – for sure. But this is an area, unlike many others, that requires some very specialized counselors I would think. Any info on how they are being picked to head this up? And is the staff doing this pulled from the other two camps, or is this a separate group?