Oak Ridge Today

STEM-focused Boy Scouts program goes national; UT-Battelle helped pilot program

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An after-school STEM education program, piloted in East Tennessee by the Great Smoky Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America, will now be offered in other parts of the country. STEM Scouts—which encourages interest in science, technology, engineering, and math through fun hands-on learning and interaction with STEM professionals—will be expanding to 12 other Boy Scouts of America councils starting this fall.

“We’ve been thrilled to be able to offer STEM Scouts in the Great Smoky Mountain Council this last year,” said Great Smoky Mountain Council Scout Executive David Williams. “It’s been great for the youth, the parents, the volunteers, and our staff. We’ve had a lot of fun and introduced a lot of new families to the world of Scouting.”

By increasing STEM learning opportunities and establishing partnerships with businesses and universities, STEM Scouts gives young people real experience in these fields and the opportunity to work one-on-one with STEM educators and experts. The program is open to boys and girls in grades 3 through 12. [Read more…]

RMS one of three new STEM Scouts Labs in East Tennessee

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Robertsville Middle School

Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is one of three additional schools in East Tennessee that have opened STEM Scouts labs.

Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is one of three other schools in East Tennessee that have opened STEM Scouts Labs. The other two new participants are Karns Middle School and Stanford Eisenberg Knoxville Jewish Day School.

That brings the total number of STEM Scouts Labs in the area to seven, a press release said. Oak Ridge High School and Clayton-­Bradley STEM Academy already have STEM Scouts Labs.

STEM Scouts is a co-­ed after-­school program by the Boy Scouts of America that uses hands-­on learning to show youth from elementary through high school how to apply STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) in their everyday lives and encourages them to develop those experiences into a future career, the press release said. The program uses the Scout Oath and Scout Law as its cornerstone.

“We are very happy to see STEM Scouts growing, “ said April McMillan, national co-director of STEM programs for the Boy Scouts of America. “We are the first in the nation to test this program, so we are pleased to see it taking off like this. We’ve had very positive feedback from students, teachers, and parents. We hope to open several more labs before the end of the year.” [Read more…]

ORHS first high school in nation to test STEM Scouts

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Oak Ridge High School

Oak Ridge High School is pictured above.

Great Smoky Mountain Council of BSA launches STEM program

KNOXVILLE—The Great Smoky Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America has been granted permission by the National Executive Board to test a proof of concept called STEM Scouts (science, technology, engineering, and math), which for now, is only open to East Tennessee youth.

The program shows youth from elementary through high school how to apply STEM in their everyday lives and encourages them to develop those experiences into a future career. The program uses the Scout Oath and Scout Law as its cornerstone.

The STEM Scouts are split into three divisions: elementary school (third through fifth grade), middle school (sixth through eighth grade), and high school (ninth through 12th grade). A successful proof of concept could have nationwide implications as the BSA gets boys and girls excited about STEM.

“Specialized programs are not new to the Boy Scouts,” said Michael Ramsey, BSA marketing director. “In fact, the concept dates back as early as 1913 with the creation of Sea Scouting. We’re optimistic this will take off and have positive outcomes for youth everywhere.” [Read more…]

Guest column: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts collect food pantry donations

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Scouts Sort Food at Grace Lutheran

Scouts, leaders, and family members from Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts troops sort food donations in Grace Lutheran’s Fellowship Hall. (Submitted photos)

Submitted by Scoutmaster Mike McEahern

The need is greater than ever.

As families continue to struggle across the country, local organizations like the Great Smoky Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America are striving to make a difference close to home.

On Feb. 9, Boy Scouts from Troop 224 from Grace Lutheran Church; Troop 328 from Kern United Methodist Church; and Cub Scouts from Pack 328 and Girl Scouts from Troop 20737, both from First United Methodist Church, teamed up to collect donations in the annual Scouting for Food drive. Donations were collected from neighborhoods throughout Oak Ridge and delivered to the Grace Lutheran Food Pantry. Additionally, Pack 328 led collection efforts at First United Methodist and Woodland Elementary—rewarding the leading classroom at Woodland with a pizza party.

[Read more…]

Former astronaut on mission to promote math and science

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Astronaut Bernard Harris at ORNL

Astronaut Bernard A. Harris Jr., right, talks to Scott Wood, an Oak Ridge National Laboratory computer analyst and Roane State Community College observatory volunteer, after a Friday morning talk at ORNL.

He had prepared for this space mission for years, starting as a boy fascinated by the Apollo program and continuing through rigorous astronaut training.

Still, as Bernard A. Harris Jr. stepped out of the space shuttle Discovery in 1995—the first African-American to walk in space—he hesitated, afraid he might get sucked out of the craft’s air lock and fall 250 miles to Earth.

Holy cow, Harris thought as the Earth flew by far below at 17,500 miles per hour.

“I am really doing this,” Harris recalled thinking. “It was just incredible.”

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UT-Battelle donates $150,000 to Boy Scouts classrooms

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UT-Battelle Donation to Boy Scouts

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Thom Mason presents Larry Brown, executive director of the Boy Scouts of America’s Great Smoky Mountain Council, with a $150,000 gift from UT-Battelle for the council’s ongoing campaign to renovate Camp Buck Toms. Pictured from left are Paul Carter, Brown, John Cicaroi, Mason, and Philip Webb. (Photo submitted by ORNL)

UT-Battelle has donated $150,000 to the Boy Scouts of America’s Great Smoky Mountain Council for an ongoing campaign to renovate Camp Buck Toms near Rockwood.

The money will be used to help set up classrooms for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities at the camp.

“This corporate gift will help the local scouting organization establish quality STEM-related learning activities for the hundreds of Boy Scouts in our community who attend Camp Buck Toms,” ORNL Director Thom Mason said in a press release.

[Read more…]