STEM Career Explorations

July 28th-Aug 2nd

Campers Entering Grades 10-12 

Register Here!

STEM Careers Camp gives high school students an opportunity to explore career options in several areas.  NIU faculty and staff in several colleges and Career Services as well as local professionals will staff specialized tracks in Health Sciences, Engineering, and Game Development.  Participants will apply to the track of their choice and spend the bulk of the week with the smaller group of students who have also chosen that track.  Evening recreational activities will involve all campers.  Participants can expect a fun and busy week as STEM career options open up before them!

STEM Careers campers will experience dorm life by living in one of the newly renovated Grant Towers and enjoying meals in Stevenson Hall and the Blackhawk Cafeteria in the Holmes Student Center.  Campers will have the opportunity to interact with professionals and students in many STEM fields throughout the day, including informally at meals.  Evening activity choices include visits to Davis Hall Observatory, video game night, movie night, and outdoor recreational activities. 

Who should apply?  If you can answer yes to any of these questions, STEM Career Explorations is for you!

• Are you a high school student curious about STEM career possibilities and interested in exploring some of them? 
• Do you like math or science but have no idea what you could do for a career? 
• Are your parents telling you to become an engineer because they make good money, but you don’t know what an engineer does? 
• Do you dream of becoming a nurse, physical therapist, or doctor?
• Do you wonder what other health careers there are behind the scenes at a hospital?

Check out the three tracks below and apply early as each track is limited to 20 participants.

Health Careers

You may know what it takes to become a doctor or a nurse, but are you aware of the dozens of other professions in health care?  Health care is projected to be one of the fastest growing industries over the next decade.  What are health science careers and what do you need to do to be ready to pursue them in college?

Join us as we investigate what it takes to become physical therapists, clinical lab technicians, cancer researchers, audiologists, pharmacologists, biomedical engineers, doctors, nurses, and many other critical careers.  Along the way you will interact with the simulated patients in the nursing lab, peer at organisms through the microscopes in the clinical laboratory, and meet students and faculty in health-related STEM disciplines. Faculty from the colleges of Health and Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Education are participating in this track.

Engineering Careers

Engineers are involved in designing virtually everything we use today from our cars, computers, and cell phones to bridges, skyscrapers, and video games.  Do you know which engineers are involved in each?  What does an engineer do?  How does an engineer’s day differ from a scientist’s day? 

Join us as we investigate the scores of engineering and related careers.  Throughout the week you will learn “lean manufacturing” techniques and compete to establish the most efficient assembly line, learn to solder and then complete your own electronic device to take home, participate in design and construction challenges, and visit our engineering labs.  Participants will join the Green Career participants in a visit to a non-profit renewable energy solutions incubator.

Game Design

Are you interested in video games, animation, or 3D virtual worlds? Do you know that designing games is a team effort involving several types of artists, writers, and programmers, as well as the game designer? Sign up for the Video Game Design and Development track to try your hand at game design and learn about the various careers available.

Join us to use professional software to design and develop a playable video game.  Participants will explore popular video games, learn the essentials of game design, develop a game story, create game characters, invent game goals and rules, storyboard game scenarios, design a game interface, and create sound effects to realize their games.  No prior experience needed, but those who have participated in our Game Design Day Camp will be able to use the week to advance their skills.

An Additional $20/camper Technology Fee applies to this camp.