Page 28 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch September 27, 2013 County Officials Hear Review Of Summer Program By TRAVIS BROWN STAFF WRITER SNOW HILL – Now that the school year is well underway, representatives from several of Worcester County Public Schools’ (WCPS) summer programs visited the Board of Education last week for a review of both STEM WOW and Summer Academies. STEM WOW, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at the Worcester Technical High School (WTHS), was the latest addition to the county’s summer roster. The week-long program attracted 53 rising eighth graders and gave educators a chance to show off the facilities at WTHS, said Diane Stulz, coordinator of instruction. “Mostly we saw the same thing. It gave them a reason to come to this school, which is one of the reasons we wanted our students to understand what was there, and the level of science they can learn while there,” she said. Covering STEM-centric fields like biomedical, pre-engineering, alternative energies, interactive media and agriculture, the idea of the aca- Morning’s Light It was a gorgeous start to Wednesday, thanks in part to a unique array of clouds and the emerging sun’s rays. Photo by George Ball demy was to present students with a sampler of programs before they have to decide on whether or not to take any classes at WTHS. The students delved into topics like DNA, solar power, Photoshop, blueprint comprehension and plant fertilization. “You can see that there’s a variety and there’s something for everybody,” said Stulz. Students were polled on what programs they would like to see added next year, and Marlyn Barrett, coordinator of instruction, revealed that culinary and criminal justice programs are the top two contenders. Funding for next year’s STEM WOW has just recently been re-secured, Stulz confirmed. The itinerary for next summer is not decided yet, but both Stulz and Barrett are hoping for an expanded offering. “The good news is, we received notification last week that we got our STEM grant for next year,” Stulz said. “We will be doing one week next year, but we are really looking for that second week and would like to drop down and do rising sixthgraders.” The program is supported by a $60,000 state grant, though there are a number of spending restrictions with that money. Attendance for the first-ever STEM WOW was healthy, Stulz said, with the 53 total students who took part representing a relatively even mix of boys and girls with a significant number of minority students involved. Transportation, a meal and all materials were provided for students through the grant funding. All grade-appropriate WCPS students are eligible for STEM WOW, Stulz SEE NEXT PAGE