Texas Southern University July 25, 2022 Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers Immersion camp wraps up history-making sixth summer camp Campers from the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers Immersion camp engage with electronics instruction. For the first time in the camp's six years, it was co-ed. This summer, Texas Southern University hosted a three-week program sponsored by Verizon: the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers Immersion camp. This was the sixth year. Assistant Vice President for Corporate-Community Partnerships and & Career Pathways Success says there are students who attended the camp in previous years who are now students at TSU. "This year we are proud to have some of the students who attended this camp come back and serve as mentors in the camp," Snowden said. "Other students who have been a part of the camp are now instructors in the camp." One of those students is Damien Terry. He was part of one of the first camps. He's now a senior at Sterling High School in Houston. "You know how people say 'I've been in the same seats as you guys?' I really have been in the same seats," Terry said. "We were in the same building, we did the same stuff. But now I get to come back, give back to my community." The camp is for middle school students. "It is a STEM-focused training development camp teaching our students, young middle school students sixth, seventh, and eighth graders to get acclimated to 3D printing," Snowden said. "They are also doing AR/VR, augmented reality virtual reality work, and also doing some electronics. So, we're keeping them immersed in the work of trying to get their minds acclimated to more STEM-focused careers." "It's been real fun," said seventh grader Carson Harris. "I've been getting to understand STEM." This year camp looked different. It was the first time the camp was co-ed. "It's been really fun," said sixth grade student Trihnity Parker. "We get to use the robots and get to make our own worlds on the coding process thing. And all the classes are fun." Snowden says Verizon has been a very strong partner with TSU since the beginning. "They have come to the table, and again sponsored this camp and this activity for the last six years. Even through covid we were able to do online training. So this partnership really expands the opportunities of outreach into the community." To see more about the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers Immersion camp, click here<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkSlhDBGUZ4>. Sandra M. Phoenix, Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance 678-210-5801 ext. 101 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Seek justice, honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/