The UW partnered with the Chehalis Foundation to host a four-day summer STEM camp at W.F. West High School this week for high school students in the Chehalis-region. Students enrolled in the camp have the opportunity to learn from engineering and medical science experts and work with cutting-edge technologies.
For the past two days, students learned about the Engineering Design Process and its applications from faculty in the UW College of Engineering. In small groups, they designed and built a Rube Goldberg machine and tested it in a competition held yesterday afternoon. Senate Minority Leader John Braun and Representative Peter Abbarno stopped by the camp to watch the competition and give the students words of encouragement before it began.
Today, students worked with scientists from the Institute for Protein Design to design custom proteins using the scientific video game Fold It. After designing their proteins, they learned how to study them in a lab.
Tomorrow, students will explore DNA, antibodies, antigens, viruses, and other elements of advanced biology with experts from the Brotman Baty Institute. They will engage in hands-on activities once again to expand and deepen their understanding of precision medicine research.
The Chehalis summer STEM camp gives students in the region a unique and fun educational experience, while also showcasing STEM degrees and pathways post-high school.
Thank you, Sen. Braun and Rep. Abbarno, for joining your local students to watch them in action as they tested their machine designs. We appreciate your continued support of the UW!
