What has been the impact of Summer STEAM?

Summer STEAM 2015 program evaluation has been completed. We are making a difference:

  • 97% of students reported learning new things
  • 89% reported improvement of mathematical, scientific, and engineering skills
  • 84% reported learning to respect opinions that are different
  • 84% reported developing leadership skills, and
  • 88% reported improvement in their ability to work with a group to accomplish a task

Since Virginia STEAM Academy began offering Summer STEAM in 2013, more than 1,000 students have applied and more than 300 have completed the program statewide. Summer STEAM young scholars were selected to participate in the week-long, immersive, summer learning experience.

Summer STEAM is offered as a public-private offering to Virginia’s young scholars. For many young scholars, Summer STEAM is their only opportunity to experience the rigor and relationships that evolve out of an immersive living-learning laboratory with like-minded, like-motivated peers, and exceptional faculty and staff.

In the program, students spend three hours each day in content-specific learning labs, followed by lunch and social time, and then another three hours in applied learning labs, plus leadership opportunities, field trips, and recreation.