Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas – PSJA Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School hosted 8th Annual STEM camp themed “TOPSTEM” on Friday, February 3, 2023.
As part of the event, hundreds of current 8th-grade students from various PSJA ISD middle schools engaged in interactive project-based learning activities including jet propulsion, robotics, aeronautics & air mobility, drone flight simulations, and chemistry, and even witnessed a helicopter landing in real-time.
According to PSJA T. Jefferson T-STEM ECHS Principal Sylvia Lizcano, this year’s theme “TOP STEM” was inspired by the motion picture movie “TOP GUN: Maverick” to generate excitement for the camp among the younger generation.
“I like how during this event T-STEM is showing us all of the programs that they offer,” said Nyomi Saucedo 8th-grade student at LBJ Middle School. “At first I wanted to go into Law Enforcement, but after attending the STEM camp I want to be in the emergency room, we were tying tourniquets in one of the stations, it was a lot of fun, and it really inspired me.”
As one of PSJA ISD’s designated Early College campuses by the Texas Education Agency, PSJA T. Jefferson T-STEM provides advanced educational opportunities to all students so they may graduate from high school with up to 60 college credit hours or an Associate Degree from South Texas College.
The camp is held each year as part of the school’s efforts to continue exposing students to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics or STEM fields while demonstrating the different opportunities available at the campus for current and future students.
“We really want students to look into a STEM field and see where their interests are. STEM is all around us and our campus is leading the way in building that foundation for our students,” said Dr. Yvonne Gomez PSJA T. Jefferson T-STEM ECHS Life Coach. “We’re hoping that when they walk away from our STEM Camp, they realize how awesome science, technology, engineering, and math is. By showcasing how STEM is related in almost every job field, perhaps that will prompt many of the attending 8th-grade students to apply and attend PSJA T-STEM for the start of their high school journey next year.”
As an open-enrollment school district, PSJA ISD welcomes any student living anywhere in the Rio Grande Valley. Registration for the 2023-2024 school year is now open.
Parents or students interested in learning more about the opportunities available at PSJA ISD can visit www.psjaisd.us/whypsja
