Yesterday, Senate Minority Leader John Braun and Representative Peter Abbarno stopped by W.F. West High School in Chehalis to visit the annual summer STEM camp hosted by the UW and Chehalis Foundation. During the three-day camp, faculty and students from the UW College of Engineering and UW Medicine provided local high schoolers with the opportunity to learn from experts and interact with cutting-edge technology.
Students developed core engineering skills by designing and building mini-catapults capable of launching pumpkin candies across the high school library. During their visit, Sen. Braun and Rep. Abbarno had the opportunity to watch the students put the finishing touches on their projects, wish the students luck prior to the competition, and watch them in action. The campers launched forty-six catapults during the final competition and competed for best overall, most accurate, farthest shot, most improved, fan favorite, and most creative awards.
Today, the students engaged with population health leaders from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation to explore data visualization tools and emergency health care response. As part of a hands-on mock task force, students investigated common population health concerns and gave policy recommendations based on their findings. Both engineering and medicine modules were designed to showcase potential avenues of study at the UW and inspire students to consider careers in STEM.
Thank you, Sen. Braun and Rep. Abbarno, for stopping by and your continued support of this partnership!
