NASSAU, BAHAMAS - On the heels of launching its first ever Youth Hack-A-Thon event this past March, The Bahamas Engineering and Technology Advancement is gearing up towards the opening of its sixth annual summer camp, commonly referred to as BETAC (Bahamas Engineering and Technology Advancement Camp).
Set to kick off July 29th, BETAC is promising to be an unforgettable experience not only for attendees, but camp facilitators, organizers and endorsers.
“This year’s camp places a heavy focus on Family Island representation, as well as meeting our target of a 1:1 male to female ratio. We’ve also included the choice to study Coastal Engineering and have teamed up with Caribbean Coastal Services (CCS) as a corporate partner to do so in helping to teach the students about the discipline,” said Trenicka Rolle-Dukes, bio-mechanical engineer, co-founder and president of BETA.
Kenneth Scott, representative of Caribbean Coastal Services and civil engineer said: “It is vital for industry professionals to engage with youth through programs like BETA Camp. Through these interactions we are not only preventing the stagnation of what exists within STEM-based fields, but are potentially sparking the flame in young ones to improve, grow, and even revolutionize STEM fields and in turn, the world we live in.”
There will be seven different engineering disciplines offered this time around, including: biomedical, chemical, civil/ environmental, coastal, computer science/ web development, electrical and mechanical.
The theme is centered around continuing the conversation on cruise control, titled: “Innovating the Bahamian Maritime Industry”. A timely one as well, as the nation discusses the developments of cruise ports in Nassau, Grand Bahama and Eleuthera.
Like its predecessors, this year’s BETA Camp will be no different – running for a week long and giving students the opportunity to choose which form of engineering they would like to undertake. However, though this opportunity is a unique one, it is also based upon availability as there are a select number of seats per engineering stream, according to Rolle-Dukes.
“What’s different about our summer camp, aside from the fact that it is STEM-based, is that our instructors are subject matter experts in their fields and focus their lessons on both theory and practical learning. As a result, each day, students are learning key engineering principles and applying it via hands-on and project-based activities,” she added.
“We really want our students to build and create in order to cement what they have learned. We also have included field trips in the package deal to allow students to see how engineering and technology are applied in the field at local companies. Most importantly, we want them to see the opportunities available right here at home.”
BETA is looking forward to, most of all, meeting their target number of students for this year’s camp and exposing students of the Family Islands to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education like never before.
Rolle-Dukes said by the end of the camp, she is hoping students depart with more information about STEM and cruise control than they entered, citing, “I think it’s important to recognize what this means for the country and how we as Bahamians can become apart of these developments, and ensure that it is truly beneficial for our people, our economy and our land.”
The Bahamas Engineering and Technology Advancement Camp will run from July 29th to August 3rd, 2019. For more information on how to register, visit their website: www.wearebeta.co, and follow the conversations leading up to the launch of BETAC on social media – Instagram @wearebetabahamas and Facebook: BETA Camp.
