Visitors from the Chrysler Museum led hands-on art sessions for students from Southside STEM Academy at Campostella during the Green STEM Summer Experience at Camp Young, Norfolk Public Schools said.
The activities paired art techniques with science and material experimentation so students could experience creative approaches alongside STEM concepts. "We do experiments. We're experts at materiality. We know about physics," a Chrysler Museum educator said. "It was really important for us to show up, make a lot of different kinds of artwork with these young folks, and remind them that while they might be interested in a STEM field, they can always bring artistry and creativity to their future passions or interests."
Students worked on three separate projects using different tools and techniques and were encouraged to experiment. One student said program instructors were patient when projects became messy: "They were kind. They were nice. When we made well, it's getting a bit messy. They just went like, oh, it's perfectly fine. Being messy is always always a good thing to do sometimes." Another student described using stencils, markers and prints to create personalized designs and contrasted the camp activities with ordinary summer school offerings.
Norfolk Public Schools posted video coverage and summaries of divisionwide summer activities on its website and social channels.