PETERSBURG – On Wednesday, July 22, students, parents and members of Petersburg’s educational community gathered at J.E.B. Stuart Elementary School to celebrate the conclusion of the 2015 STEAMulating Summer Program, hosted by the Believe-N-U Academic Development Center and sponsored by the Petersburg City Public Schools Office of Federal Programs and School Improvement.
“We loved it, the kids loved it and they received it well,” said Demetria Jennings, executive director of the Believe-N-U Academic Development Center.
The STEAMulating Summer Program was a 5-week immersive experience designed to expose students to various components and career paths found within the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) fields. Students explored their individual interests within these fields, conducted experiments that illustrated STEAM principles and learned about how they can create a bright future for themselves by focusing their career goals on STEAM-related career options.
“I was excited to hear the students’ presentations about what they engaged in during the summer program,” said PCPS School Board Chairman, Kenneth Pritchett.
“With this being the first year that Believe-N-U has held this program here in Petersburg City Public Schools, I’m hopeful that it will become a continuing partnership with the school system,” he said.
Believe-N-U plans to offer this program in additional locations both during the school year and over the 2016 summer break as a way to supplement a student’s learning while providing a much needed resource for parents who want to expand their student’s experiences.
“I hope they continue this program for the kids next year,” said Cindy Miller, whose second-grader participated in the program. “It was wonderful!”
“They needed this,” said Nikisha Wilson-Lee, whose fifth-grader was excited about her participation in the program. “She [her daughter] talked about it all the time.”
Believe-N-U (BNU) Academic Development Center, located in Prince George, Va., strives to improve the academic achievement of students through increasing their knowledge, skills and time devoted to schoolwork. Services include homework help, test prep, project concierge, targeted academic tutoring, writing lab and summer camp. BNU is committed to providing learning experiences that will assist students to achieve their greatest potential while empowering children to be confident and creative builders of their future.