PEMBROKE – Nineteen students from Prospect Elementary School enjoyed an exciting educational excursion on Wednesday as part of a positive behavior and attendance incentive reward, thanks to the sponsorship of the Emerging Technology Institute.
The students, ranging from third to seventh grade, participated in a STEM-focused field trip at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub, where they explored coding, game development, and food science.
“These are students who have worked hard. They’ve been in school as much as they can and they’ve listened and done very well,” said Melissa Hill, a Student Support Specialist with Communities in Schools, who works with students at Prospect Elementary School.
“Every nine weeks, I plan an incentive trip for students who met their attendance and behavior goals … They look forward to it and they’re always asking me ‘where are we going next,’” she said.
Hill works hard to secure funding through grants and sometimes uses money of her own to give the students educational field trips free of charge. When she began organizing the trip and inquiring about using ETI’s lab at the Hub, she was met with kindness, generosity and an opportunity to allow the students to explore the lab, attend a STEM Expo trip and enjoy lunch courtesy of ETI.
“Emerging Technology Institute is a tech firm where we get to build products for the government and we get to showcase that to students,” said ETI Founder and CEO James Freeman.
“Events like today are so important for our kids because they do get to learn about technology but at the same time, they get to learn from people in tech careers which builds mentorship. Students end up finding that they can operate or develop a technology and that there is a potential career pathway for them in the future related to new technologies,” he said.
During the trip, ETI staff members introduced students to the world of software development, gaming, and block coding, immersing them in hands-on activities that demonstrated the principles of programming. Jason Robinson, an ETI programmer, guided students through building platforms inside a game engine, giving them the opportunity to apply coding concepts in real-time.
"I talk them through the code once, but now they get to build platforms," Robinson explained. "This is something we would use if we were making a game or just for programming."
Additionally, members of Robeson County 4-H Program led engaging food science experiments, teaching students about agriculture, the science behind food growth, and the importance of sustainability.
"They’re going to make their own greenhouses and learn where food comes from, how it grows, and how acids and bases work in food science," said Shea Ann DeJarnette, a local 4-H Extension Agent. "If we give them the opportunity to know how to grow things, they will always have food."
The day’s activities highlighted a well-rounded approach to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and inspired students to explore future career paths in both technology and agricultural science.
This immersive field trip was made possible through the collaborative efforts between Prospect Elementary School, Communities in Schools, Emerging Technology Institute, the Robeson County 4-H Program, and the UNCP Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub to provide students with innovative, hands-on educational experiences.