White City, Ore — Nearly 200 high school students from throughout Southern Oregon converged on Rogue Community College’s Table Rock campus for a hands on experience in science, technology, engineering and math.
“It’s super different and I really like that,” said Rubee Shapiro.
Science, technology, engineering and math, STEM programs are gaining steam as students from throughout Southern Oregon made their way to Rogue Community College.
“Welding, healthcare, computer science activities, manufacturing, electronics, so students are getting to test what they’re learning at school in a nice competitive environment,” said Leo Hirner.
RCC hosted the Stemathlon, a friendly competition between area high schools, hosted by RCC and the Southern Oregon Career and Technical Education program.
“Career and technical education really focuses on getting kids out of high school and into a college program as quickly as possible,” said Brian Robin.
It’s an opportunity for kids like Rubee Shapiro to put her technical skills to the test.
“I think that a lot of kids don’t have the chance to explore other options, rather than just traditional school and this is really different and really interesting and gives more options,” said Shapiro.
It’s a break from the traditional college route, earning credits while in high school, and potentially setting up a future career.
“There are people from industries talking to students getting them excited about the careers that are offered locally and getting introduced to new ideas and new jobs they might not have been aware of before,” said Robin.
Opening a doorway for students to pursue their dreams.
“I was excited to do robotics and STEM because honestly one of my favorite TV shows, one of the main characters works in STEM and it was always fascinating to me,” said Shapiro.
The STEM program ran all day with an awards ceremony in several categories.
Students interested in the program can contact RCC’s education services.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.