Introducing our Summer STEM Interns
Please join us in welcoming summer interns Sarah Fleischman and Maria Skidmore to the McAuliffe-Shepard Education Team! Sarah and Maria are responsible for leading our Virtual STEM Summer Camps, which run from June 22 to August 7.
These internship positions, supported by funding from the New Hampshire Space Grant Consortium, provide an opportunity for college students in STEM fields to utilize their knowledge and skills by instructing children in earth and space sciences. Learn more about our new team members below.
Maria Skidmore
Maria is a junior at the University of New Hampshire, where she studies Chemical Engineering and Pre-Medical Sciences. She is part of the University Honors Program and volunteers her time as a member of the Society for Women Engineers (SWE). She says of her new position with MSDC,
“I enjoy listening to others and helping them overcome their challenges. I am enthusiastic about spreading knowledge, and hope to learn more about myself [through this internship] as well.”
Sarah Fleischman
Sarah is a sophomore at Cornell University, where she plans to major in Computer Science. She grew up in Concord, and looks forward to engaging New Hampshire students through STEM education. She tells us that her goal,
“is to engage with students and inspire them to become engineers—and I’m super excited to be working at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center this summer!”
More About the Summer Camps
The all-virtual format of this year’s STEM summer camps will allow the Discovery Center to continue our mission of inspiring and educating audiences in and beyond New England, while ensuring staff and visitor safety by adhering to social distancing protocols. Each week-long camp experience will include virtual lessons with Sarah and Maria, hands-on projects and activities, and opportunities for children to enjoy peer-to-peer social interaction.
Camp topics include astronomy, flight, and weather, with options available for children ages 5 through 14. The cost of registration includes nearly all materials needed to complete the camps: our interns and staff actually package and ship a kit of supplies and information right to each camper! (For registrations made within 10 days of the camp start date, the needed materials will be available for curbside pickup at the Discovery Center.)
Since joining us at the beginning of June, Maria and Sarah have blown us away with their enthusiasm and efficiency! Working as a team, they have already designed a host of fun and educational lessons and hands-on projects for our summer camps. Last weekend, they packed and shipped these cute activity kits for Week 1 of camp: Discover the Dinosaurs.
Sarah and Maria are very excited to meet their first group of campers over Zoom next week. They are currently working diligently to put together the curricula for upcoming camps.
