On July 27, Hope of Detroit Academy (HODA) celebrated the last day of their STEAM summer school program with food, fun, and their rocket ship launch.
“Our goal this year was to really incorporate a lot more STEAM activities, not just reading and math for the summer, but more engaging activities of all subjects,” said Dr. Sue Estrada, curriculum director of HODA.
The summer school program at Hope of Detroit Academy runs from July 5 through July 27 at the Hope of Detroit Campus. This year they welcomed 160 students from their K-12 middle and high school in Southwest Detroit.
“This program is important and it’s important that it’s in Southwest. Southwest is not what you just think it is. It’s not just ‘which place has the best Mexican food’ or it’s not about ‘just going to Mexicantown’ this program is about how our education is very valued and very important here too,” said Yaritza Campos, Student Success Coordinator for the HODA STEAM program.
This year, the program’s theme was centered on space, which set the tone of this summer’s program. Different students from all the different grade levels learned and crafted projects based on a specific aspect of space they were assigned.
“The higher level students were learning about space, rockets, astronauts, timelines, and how all of that worked. They built two sets of rockets, a practice launch a couple of weeks ago and final products for today’s celebration,” said Estrada. “Our younger students, which is our K-4, really focused more on outer space. They were talking about planets and how they’re structured and how they’re all located. And we incorporated all of that in the English, the math, the reading, the science, and the art and engineering.”
However, students were doing more than just learning about space and crafting cool rocket ships. Students were also encouraged to step out their comfort zone and delve into what STEAM is with the STEM 101 Program that is provided, as well.
“We teach hands-on STEM projects to allow the kids to work with their hands and learn steam concepts while at the same time problem solving through issues that might arise so that they are able to use that moving forward academically when they start the school year,” said James Scott, Teacher and Co-teacher of the STEM 101 Summer Program.
With Scott, the students engineered beautiful and intricate hand-made speakers, ukuleles, and catapults. All, which made sound, worked, and were on display at the celebration.
Moreover, the importance of Hope of Detroit’s summer school program is that it produces this idea that learning is and can be fun. With the right tools, the right environment, and the right mindset, learning is fun.
“I want the students to learn the idea that summer school isn’t school, but it’s an engaging time and that this is what learning should be. Let’s have fun. Let’s figure out how the pieces are connected and build from there,” said Estrada. “That’s what we’re really gonna’ take into our next school year. How do we connect all the pieces together and show that learning is fun.”
And, next summer, they’ll do it all over again with a new theme, new projects, and more Southwest youth to inspire.
Juanita Zuniga is a graduate of Kalamazoo College with a degree in Anthropology/Sociology and English. She was born and raised in SW Detroit and still resides here today. She is very passionate about her community and hopes to serve her community through writing. Juanita is a Latin history and music enthusiast in her spare time. She is also a Cancer Sun, Libra Moon, and Cancer Rising.
