2014 BETA Camp Annual Report

2014 ANNUAL REPORT Abstract The 2014 BETA Camp was proven to be a success with an overall enrollment of 77 students.

Students were given an introductory and in depth knowledge on various engineering disciplines.

The camp included 6 different engineering streams to which students were split into based on first and second preference. The camp included collaborations with STEMBoard, the College of the Bahamas, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Fonzworth Bentley Leadership Institute.

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Table of Contents Letter from the President....................................................................................................................................................... 3 About BETA ............................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Camp Overview ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Camp Demographics .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Summary of Stream Activities ............................................................................................................................................... 9 Biomedical Engineering Stream .......................................................................................................................................... 9 Chemical Engineering Stream ........................................................................................................................................... 11 Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering Stream .................................................................................................................. 13 Civil & Environmental Engineering Stream ....................................................................................................................... 14 Computer Science & Web Development Stream.............................................................................................................. 16 Electrical Engineering Stream ........................................................................................................................................... 18 Technical Demonstration .................................................................................................................................................. 20 Design Project ....................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Public Panel .......................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Final Expense Breakdown .................................................................................................................................................... 30 Sponsors and Partners ......................................................................................................................................................... 32 Title/Platinum Sponsor ($10,000) ..................................................................................................................................... 33 Gold Sponsors ($5,000) ..................................................................................................................................................... 34 Silver Sponsors ($2,500).................................................................................................................................................... 35 Bronze Sponsors ($1000) .................................................................................................................................................. 36 Contributors/Student Sponsors ($500)............................................................................................................................. 37 Partners ............................................................................................................................................................................. 38 In-Kind Contributors.......................................................................................................................................................... 40 Public Relations & Media ..................................................................................................................................................... 41 Camp Outcomes ................................................................................................................................................................... 46 Future Recommendations.................................................................................................................................................... 49 Student Recommendations .............................................................................................................................................. 49 Volunteer Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................... 50 Instructor Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................... 50 BETA 10-Year Outlook .......................................................................................................................................................... 51

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Letter from the President BETA as an organization and in particular BETA Camp was once an idea and today has become a reality. It still amazes me that what started off as an online conversation between two individuals gained enough momentum to energize conference calls between young Bahamian engineers, scientists and technologist in the United States, Canada and The Bahamas. The common thread forging the connection between us was the need for greater exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and in particular engineering for Bahamian students. We somehow found ourselves stumbling upon pursuits of engineering after high school because the awareness and exposure to engineering was lacking throughout our secondary education. So today we hope to be a catalyst for change in the growth and advancement of engineering throughout the entire Bahamas.

As an organization we believe in the importance of giving back to our community. We desire to be the contributors and nation builders to move the Bahamas progressively forward as our global society continues to transform and evolve before our eyes. More importantly, we believe that change starts with us. It is not some abstract solution far beyond our reach. In fact, it begins and ends with us, those of us whose heritage and hearts are deeply rooted within Bahamian soil.

While the BETA team is comprised of fairly young individuals we realize that the world we live in today is vastly different from the world we were raised in. We live in the modern technologically advanced world where one’s online presence is so heavily weighted. It is no wonder that companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr and Pinterest are thriving giants. Social Media has skyrocketed over the past decade and what’s driving these social media engines are the technologist and engineers who create and run the platforms. This provides the driving force as to why it’s imperative that we prepare our future i.e. our youth for an elevated global technical revolution.

Consequently, the amount of available jobs in these technical industries will rapidly increase and the need for an equipped and competitive workforce is key.

With the conclusion of BETA Camp not only have we given back to our community but we’ve imparted into the lives of 77 young people who we hope will become the Bahamian engineers and technologist of tomorrow.

More importantly, we believe that change starts with us. It is not some abstract solution far beyond our reach. In fact, it begins and ends with us, those of us whose heritage and hearts are deeply rooted within Bahamian soil.

If you are reading this report we hope that you will find value and promise in all that the BETA organizations seeks to accomplish. Within this report you will find key information on results and findings from this year’s inaugural BETA Camp, highlights from the BETA Panel Discussion with three well-noted panelists, sponsors of the BETA Camp initiative, outcomes, recommendations and a future outlook for the BETA organization.

We hope that this will excite you as much as it has excited us. It gives me great joy to share this with you and as we move forward we will do our best in BRINGING THE STEM REVOLUTION TO THE BAHAMAS.

Trenicka K. Rolle Co-Founder and President of BETA trenicka.rolle@gmail.com

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About BETA Bahamas Engineering and Technology Advancement (BETA) is the work of a consortium of Bahamian engineers, scientists and technologists. These highly skilled professionals share a passion for using the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills they have learned in their successful careers to help reenergize the Bahamas and provide opportunities for Bahamian youth.

The BETA team came together in spring 2014 with a shared goal: to expose Bahamian students to STEM fields and instil in them the knowledge, passion and drive to pursue careers within these growing and rewarding fields. After countless meetings, conference calls and emails, BETA was founded.

The 2014 BETA Camp was the first initiative that the BETA team has produced. Due to the success of this camp, the group plans to move forward with more technical outreach programs and initiatives while continuing to diversify talent within the BETA team.

Our Mission:

ʺ The BETA team’s mission is to use technical expertise to inspire and improve the Bahamas through a series of collaborative efforts that will strengthen STEM education across the nation, create opportunities for engineers and address vital infrastructure issues on our Bahama islands.ʺ Our Vision:

ʺ The BETA team seeks to create a future where Bahamians are technically equipped to compete in a global market.ʺ 2014 BETA Executive Board:

    

President: Trenicka Rolle Vice-President: D’Andre Wilson-Ihejirika Director of Communications: Travis Miller Treasurer: LaToya Johnson Directors: o Albrion Symonette o Kordero St. Cyr o Bradley Thompson Jr. o Najah Plakaris o Dr. Carlton Watson

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Camp Overview The 2014 BETA Camp served to provide exposure to the principles and foundation of engineering knowledge.

Such exposure granted students the opportunity to realize the value and importance of applied mathematics and science to the betterment of everyday life through engineering. The camp was held at the College of The Bahamas, Oakes Field Campus in Nassau, Bahamas during the week of July 28 th – August 1st. The organizers of the camp included 8 members of the BETA team, 4 members of STEMBoard with the aid of key administrators of the Harry C. Moore Library at COB and key persons from the COB School of Mathematics , Physics and Technology.

The BETA Camp was organized to accommodate 60 students. However, after local on air interviews with Bahamas at Sunrise, Guardian Talk Radio and ZNS the week before the camp, the demand drastically increased leaving BETA Camp organizers to increase the number of students. The enrollment of the camp reached a final number of 77 students. There were 6 engineering disciplines (streams) which included:      

Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering Biomedical Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil/Environmental Engineering Computer Science/Web Development Electrical Engineering

Of these 6 discplines students were asked to specify which engineering discipline they preferred by giving their first and second preference. Throughout the week students were engaged in lessons and hands on activities that would help to build their foundation and understanding of engineering. Additonally, students were placed in teams where they focused on proposing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) solutions to issues surrounding coral reef preservation and Junkanoo parades. Through these projects students:     

learned to collaborate with their peers working in teams used investigative and research skills to obtain potential solutions tackled local/national issues to which they can possibly be apart of the solution developed communication skills by presenting their work to a large audience learned to defend their work by answering questions posed by judges from sponsor companies and fellow peers.

The inaugural 2014 BETA Camp brought enrichment to instructors, volunteers, students and at large the Bahamas. BETA Camp at its inception presents a promising outlook on students interested in pursuing careers in engineering. The camp will continue and in the years to come it will be improved and expounded upon based on this year’s current model.

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Camp Demographics Overall, the 2014 BETA Camp had 77 students (3 of which were absent for the intro survey). The following demographics for the BETA Camp will span age, gender, grade, public/private school and hometown in The Bahamas for the 74 students surveyed.

Gender The target for the 2014 BETA Camp was to have as close to a 50-50 ratio of female-male students. The actual number of students were 21 female and 53 male, giving a percentage of 28% female, 72% male.

Camp Gender Demographics Female

Male

28%

72%

Figure 1: Gender Demographics of the 2014 BETA Camp

Age The original target was to have students aged 11-14. While this age group made up the bulk of the students ages, there were also students age 10 (3%) as well as age 15 (3%). Majority of students were age 14 (42%)

Age Demographics 10

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14

15

3% 3% 13% 42%

16%

23%

Figure 2: Age Demographics of the 2014 BETA Camp

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Grade and School Students were also surveyed for grade level (that they had just completed in June 2014) as well as their school. Schools were seperated in to public, private and N/A, which included students who were homeschooled or attending schools outside of the Bahamas.

School Demographics Public

Private

12%

N/A

14%

74%

Figure 3: Demographic of students from public vs. private school

Grade Demographics 5

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7

8

9

10

4% 4% 20%

33%

12% 27%

Figure 4: Student Demographic by grade level

Home City Students were asked to identify their home city. This was categorized into Freeport, Nassau and “Other�, which included students from other family islands as well as students from outside of the country.

Home City Freeport

Nassau

4%

Other

20%

76%

Figure 5: Student Home City demographics Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

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Stream Demographics When looking at the specific streams, the numbers were as follows: Table 1: Total number of students per stream and gender breakdown

Gender

Aeronautical

Biomedical

Chemical

Female Male Total

1 13 14

6 5 11

8 4 12

Civil

Computer Science 2 9 11

Electrical 4 15 19

0 7 7

Majority of students were interested in the Computer Science stream, which had the highest number of students (19). Electrical Engineering had the least students (7) but had the highest level of engagement (9.1/10) [see Outcomes-Students-Assessment of Individual Streams].

Distribution amongst streams Aeronautical 9% 26%

Biomedical

19%

Chemical 15%

Civil Computer Science

15% 16%

Electrical Figure 6: Percentage of students within each stream

Electrical Engineering also had the lowest female to male ratio, with zero females in the stream. Chemical engineering and Biomedical Engineering both had more females than males, with a ratio of 8-4 and 6-5, respectively.

Steam Gender Demographics Female

13

5 6

1 Aeronautical Biomedical

4 8 Chemical

Male

15 9 2 Civil

4 Computer Science

7 0 Electrical

Figure 7: Students per stream split by gender

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Summary of Stream Activities Biomedical Engineering Stream Instructor: Trenicka Rolle Trenicka Rolle was born and raised in Freeport, Grand Bahama. In addition to being published in various academic journals, Trenicka has held leadership positions in the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and received several awards including the 2013 Bahamas National Academic Scholarship. Trenicka completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011; and recently received her master’s degree in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering.

Volunteers: David Sands and Charles Hamilton David Sands is a retired pediatrician who completed his studies at McGill University.

Charles Hamilton is a recent graduate of biomedical sciences at the University of Guelph.

Summary The biomedical engineering served to give students a basic foundation in the principles that encompass biomedical engineering. Specifically students gained knowledge in general engineering principles including forces, moments, stress and strain. Students were given an understanding of the physiology and anatomy of the human body from an engineering perspective, that is, in terms of biomechanics.

Examples of how to solve engineering free body diagrams were discussed as well as the engineering stress/strain graph.

Students also worked on solving problems in biomechanics where the force exerted on a muscle by lifting weights were also calculated.

Lastly, students acquired knowledge on biomedical applications in medicine and healthcare. Applications such as artificial arms and legs, artificial heart valves, ultrasound machines, MRI’s, pacemakers are all biomedical inventions that were discussed.

Aside from giving students a theoretical background, they were tasked with creating a helmet for an egg that would prevent it from being cracked after falling from a height of 5 feet. Students used straws, duct tape, cotton, paper clips, pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks to create the helmets. Another activity students were given was to create a prosthetic hand that would be powered hydro-dynamically. This activity encompassed the use of straws, popsicle sticks, rubber bands pipe cleaners, syringe and clear tubing.

Throughout these activities students were tasked to work in teams. These activities helped to build teamwork skills, effective communication, understanding the engineering design process and the ability to think creatively. With all that was taught, students were given a collegiate freshmen level crash course in statics, dynamics, biomechanics and anatomy. The goal was to equip students with enough information to obtain a solid background in biomedical engineering to aid in their decision of pursuing careers in the field.

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Image 1: Biomedical stream designs prosthetic arms

Image 2: Biomedical students learn about hydro-dynamics

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Chemical Engineering Stream Instructor: D’André Wilson-Ihejirika D’André Wilson-Ihejirika received her bachelors in chemical engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Canada and her master’s from the Centre for Management of Technology and Entrepreneurship at the University of Toronto.

D’André currently works as a Project Development Engineer in the Canadian Oil Sands where she also coordinates engineering outreach program through her small business BrainSTEM Alliance.

Volunteers: Jamia Moss and Leslia Bowe Leslia Bowe is a biochemistry student at the College of the Bahamas and entering her final year of study.

Jamia Moss is a biochemistry and Hispanic studies major at College of St. Benedict in Minnesota, US. Summary The chemical engineering stream was focused on giving the students an introduction to chemistry as well as looking at how chemical engineers “scale-up” lab experiments to industrial processes.

Students were asked to balance chemical equations and identify different types of chemical reactions. Students learn to look at different material properties of reactants vs. products and how those material properties might be used for a commercial purpose.

Students began by creating a simple polymer from water, glue and Borax. Students were given the chemical formulas for each reactant and ask to come up with a potential formula for the product. The idea of a linked polymer chain was introduced. Students also had to analyze the properties of the product vs. the reactant and students had to come up with a commercial product based on the material properties of the polymer produced.

Students were also introduced to saponification or soap-making. Students were able to make their own soap in the lab, identify the chemical formula of reactants and products and not the method for soap-making. Students learned about the concept of an exothermic reaction vs. an endothermic reaction. All of this had to be taken into consideration when students then had to design their own soap-making industrial plant. Students were introduced to chemical engineering ‘process flow diagrams’ and had to identify which industrial equipment would be necessary in their plant drawings.

Other activities included creating plastic in the lab, which is an endothermic reaction, as well as looking at acid-base reactions in the production of honeycomb candy, which uses the acid in honey combined with the basic properties of baking soda to produce CO2 and create bubbles within the candy.

Overall students were given a basic overview to multiple chemical theories and techniques and were also introduced to chemical engineering in terms of scale-up through process flow diagrams and the commercial uses for chemical products.

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Image 3: Chemical engineering stream receiving a lecture from D’AndrÊ Wilson-Ihejirika in the COB chem lab

Image 4: Students drawing Process Flow Diagrams

Image 5: Chemical engineering students in the lab making polymers

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Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering Stream Instructors: STEMBoard During the 2014 BETA Camp, Beta partnered with STEMBoard, a US-based job placement and outreach company that specifically aims to increase minority representation in the STEM workforce. Four representatives from STEMBoard travelled from the US to instruct the Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering stream; Aisha Bowe - an aerospace engineer at NASA, Erika Cherry – a mechanical and project engineer at Sumitomo Drive Technologies, John Martellaro – a technology development specialist and serial entrepreneur, and Gamaliel “Dan” Cherry – an aerospace education specialist at NASA’s Langley Research Center.

Summary The STEMBoard team completely designed and implemented the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering stream.

Students were first introduced to the basic concepts of Mechanical Engineering through a series of activities aimed to give a broad level view of the topic.

Students were then given a more detailed look at the applications of mechanical engineering to aerospace design.

Students looked at multiple aircraft and spacecraft, as well as career options and applications for aerospace learning.

Finally students learning culminated in the design of an aerodynamically engineered rocket that was launched outside on the College of the Bahamas’ campus. Students applied all aspects of mechanical and aerospace techniques into the design.

Overall, students were fully engaged in the learning and enjoyed first hand interaction with the aerospace professionals, learning more about careers with NASA and other aerospace related companies.

Image 6: Aerospace & Mechanical engineering stream setting up display for the technical exhibition

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Civil & Environmental Engineering Stream Instructors: Albrion Symonette and Kordero St. Cyr Albrion Symonette is a construction project engineer working in Nassau, Bahamas. He is an alumnus of the esteemed Morehouse College, where he was an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He currently owns a decorative pavement company called Deco Pave Bahamas, as well as a graphic design firm.

Kordero St. Cyr is a Project Officer at the Ministry of Works and holds a BSc. in civil engineering from The University of Arkansas. Kordero has served in several capacities of mentorship, most notably serving as Director of Adventures of Sciences and Mathematics 2011, a community educational initiative spearheaded by Colina General. In addition to his other accomplishments, he developed a sustainability driven, science curriculum for middle school students. Kordero is also the founder and mentor for NSBE Bahamas at the College of The Bahamas.

Volunteers: Theophilus Moss and Kerri Bascom Theo Moss is a Mechanical Engineering student at Johns Hopkins University who is an active member and leader of multiple student groups on campus.

Kerri Bascom is a Civil Engineering student at Queens University and a recent intern with Caribbean Civil Group.

Summary This stream introduced students to multiple aspects of both Civil and Environmental engineering.

Primarily students were introduced to the fundamentals of building stable structures. Multiple activities were used to address this. First, students were able to learn about foundations and how they affect stability. A simulation of different foundations was done using rock, soil and sand in a cardboard box. Each foundation was tested with wooden dowels and books as weights. Students then had to calculate the force on the foundation at failure and determine which foundation was optimal.

Students were also introduced to stable shapes through the construction of a geodesic dome. Using multiple sheets of newspaper and tape, a stable structure was designed that incorporated triangles within a circular dome. Students learned that circles and triangles are the strongest shapes and that civil engineers try to incorporate these shapes into their designs as efficiently as possible.

These concepts were then applied to the design of a popsicle stick bridge. Students were asked to form teams and design a stable bridge that spanned a specific width and covered a certain height. The bridges should incorporate the learnings from stables structures and foundations and were tested to see which would hold the most load before failure.

Students also learned about the urban planning aspect of civil design. Using traffic cones and rope a road traffic exercise was simulated. Multiple scenarios were shown to measure the different possibilities for traffic congestion. Student then had to problem-solve and come up with the optimal LOS (level of service) for the traffic scenario.

Finally, environmental engineering was introduced. To teach about sanitary water solutions, students were given samples of dirty water. Different filter types were introduced, including bio-filters, mechanical filters and chemical filters. Students had to test each filter and come up with an optimal filtration process combining the filters to get the best and cleanest water.

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Image 7: Albrion Symonette discussing urban planning with civil engineering stream

Image 8: Civil engineering stream designed stable structures like the geodesic dome

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Computer Science & Web Development Stream Instructors: Travis Miller and Bradley Thompson Travis Miller is a web developer at SPARK, a branding and advertising agency. Travis was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas and completed his degree in management information systems at the University of Tampa John H. Sykes College of Business. Travis has been involved in numerous web development projects, competed in start-up competitions and spoken at many events and panels on web development. In addition to his multiple accomplishments, Travis also has shown a dedication to education, mentoring young web developers in his spare time.

Bradley Thompson was born and raised in Freeport, Grand Bahama. An alumnus of McGill University in computer engineering, Bradley has developed websites for multiple organizations and businesses. Previously a web programmer for Frontstart, Bradley is now a systems support specialist at Freeport Container Port, specializing in Information Technology and Project Management. Bradley has experience using JavaScript, AJAX, HTML, CSS, PHP and MySQL; several programming languages including C and Java; wired and wireless network design as well as microprocessor design.

Summary The Computer Science and Web Development stream was a series of interactive, close knit lessons teaching web design and development to BETA camp students. Lessons were designed for collaboration with the students who want to learn how to design and build for the web by leveraging the latest tools and techniques to do so. The instructors enjoyed working with the kids to teach them concepts on web design and providing them with a different perspective on how the web works.

Each day began by walking over to the computer labs located in the A-block of COB campus. During the walk the instructors would go over a brief history about the programming languages of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. When class started, all the students jumped to their workstations and they were ready to start programming. They dove into design and development fundamentals that allow them to start building simple web interfaces.

The students excelled in all challenges given to them throughout the course. They were proactively exploring other's code examples and learning from what was built so that they can attempt to build it themselves. The kids never saw the same project twice and this helped keep them engaged.

The interactive nature of the lessons allowed the students to see things happening in real time with immediate results.

This kept them interested into what was going on throughout the entire lesson. Code drills throughout the class allowed the children to catch on to every lesson very quickly.

Ultimately the students saw how web design plays a bigger role in the world around them. They all were inquisitive about how the web works and how well known websites and applications like Facebook, Google and YouTube worked.

By the end of the course, students began to see the technologies they interact with every day in a new light. They now know and are able to access code all around them and this knowledge will help them for years to come. They all felt enthusiastic about building on the knowledge they acquired during the camp and they all look forward to coming back next year to continue the journey.

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Image 9: Bradley Thompson lecturing on computer science concepts

Image 10: Students applying some web development techniques

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Electrical Engineering Stream Instructors: LaToya Johnson LaToya R. Johnson is an independent Engineering and Business Consultant with 15+ years of experience in the field of engineering. She holds a Master’s of Science in Engineering (MSE) and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

After working for seven years as a Network Engineering Specialist with Verizon Communications in the USA, she returned to the Bahamas to continue her engineering and business services as an independent consultant. She also managed several service businesses during that time. LaToya serves on the Board of the Bahamas Society of Engineers where she is the current Treasurer. She is also the current Treasurer of the BETA. Volunteers: Charles Andrew Williams and Calvin Pratt Andrew Williams is a senior student at Doris Johnson High School with a keen interest in electrical engineering, having worked as a Jr. Electrician in a family business for a number of summers.

Calvin Pratt is an undergraduate student at Acadia University who has been involved in multiple science and technology outreach programs, including the technical cadet core.

Summary The Electrical Engineering Stream introduced students to the basic principles of electrical circuits and the fundamentals of engineering design. Students were introduced to key concepts and terminology in electrical engineering that will help them develop a basic knowledge and understanding of the engineering program as they further their interest in the field. This stream assisted students with additional knowledge in general engineering principles. Students were able to analyze the simple electrical circuit and the components from which it is made. They were also given an overview of how electrical engineering principles are applied daily in the environment in which they live. They were also told about what electrical engineers do, where they work, and what makes being an electrical engineer a rewarding career.

During class sessions, students were taught about the basic components that make up an electric circuit and were shown pictures that would assist them with identifying each component. Students were also shown how an electric circuit is created and how charge flows through circuits. They were introduced to basic electrical equations and shown how to calculate these equations using data given. At the end of the day, students were given short assignments to take home and complete as a review to the information given during class.

Finally, students were able to participate in several hands-on activities that consisted of individual and group work to facilitate team building. These activities included:   

The Conductivity of Materials – Students tested the conductivity of several different items (lemons, oranges and potatoes).

The Potato Clock – Students used the conductive element in potatoes to power a digital clock.

The Operation Game - Students were given electrical circuit components and instructed on how to build an electric circuit which was then used to operate a game similar to the “Operations Game”.

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Image 11: Electrical engineering stream demonstrating circuits with their Operation Game

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Technical Demonstration At the culmination of the camp on the final day, students were asked to display what they had learned in a booth that summarized their stream. Each stream had a display booth and the sponsors of the camp and judges of the design project were able to view the exhibition in the foyer of the COB Harry C. Moore Library.

Image 12: Chemical Engineering stream presenting Process Flow Diagrams to RBC representative, Larry Wilson

Image 13: Electrical Engineering explaining circuits to Sun Oil representative, Andre Moss

Image 14: Civil engineering stream volunteers discuss with Caribbean Civil Group representative, Francis Clarke

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Design Project At the 2014 BETA Camp, students were assigned into inter-disciplinary design project teams. These teams consisted of individuals from several of the technical streams in the camp and students were tasked to come up with technical solutions by applying what they had learned in their streams to two (2) potential problem areas:

Option 1 – Revolutionizing the Junkanoo Experience with STEM Junkanoo is a prominent and integral part of Bahamian Culture. Our main Parades on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day take months of planning and preparation which requires the input by a large numbers of volunteers. As much as we all love to participate in our Junkanoo celebrations, there are many tedious and time consuming aspects of the parade, for example:   

 

Weight and size of costumes make them difficult to transport and have caused safety concerns for those inside, with some incidents where emergency personnel were required The time it takes for teams to line up, get into place and to complete their laps exceeds allotted times The method for judging includes judges on the street filling paper forms and placing them in a box to be collected. This takes time and leaves room for error. Judges also must stay for all 3 laps of the parade which leads to many judges leaving before the end Safety concern with potential stabbing and shootings Ticket purchase and collection and assignment of seat for those viewing.

With the potential introduction of a larger summer Junkanoo ‘carnival’, how can we use engineering and technology to address these issues?

Option 2 – Revitalizing our Coral Reefs with STEM The Bahamas has one of the largest coral reef systems in the world. It is a part of the foundation for our islands and sea banks and gives our water is clarity and beauty. However the reefs are fragile and in recent years there have been concerns with the deterioration of the reefs from multiple causes:     

Construction of resorts and other buildings and sea structures Potential of drilling for sub-sea petroleum deposits Tourists snorkeling and scuba diving Fishermen’s boats and equipment Use of calcium carbonate deposits as a resource

While all of these activities are important to the Bahamian economy, how can we continue these activities in a responsible way and preserve our reef system?

-In total there were 13 design project teams, with 5 teams choosing to focus on Junkanoo solutions and 8 focusing on Coral Reefs. Students were given 1 hour each day of the camp to work in their teams and research and discuss their topics, come up with potential solutions and design a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation to present to our sponsor judges.

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Judges for the design project included the following: Table 2: List of judges and associated company or organization

Name Company Nickola Dawkins Phoenix Engineering Group Andre Moss Sun Oil Limited Casuarina McKinney-Lambert Bahamas Reef Environmental Education Foundation (BREEF)** Myra McPhee US Embassy Albrion Symonette Island Site Development Kenya A. Longley Caribbean Civil Group** Francis Clarke Caribbean Civil Group ** Casuarina is affiliated with Coral Reefs and only judged on the first half of presentations. Kenya completed the judging for non-Coral Reef related projects.

Students were given scores of 50 from each of the 6 judges in the following areas: Table 3: Design Project judging criteria

Criteria Technical Content Problem Solving Innovation Oral Presentation Visual Display TOTAL

Point allocation 15 10 5 10 10 50

Judges scores were tallied and a final score was given out of 300 (50 x 6 judges). The successful teams were: Table 4: Design Project winning teams with presentation topic and total judge score

Team Number Team 4

Team 7

Team 8

Team Members Christin Cash Drexwill Ferguson Jade Knowles Enrique Pyfrom Tarranique Rahming Daniel Bullard Monique Chandler G’Angelo Edgecombe Reagan Farrington Ian Finley Justyn Sweeting Jesse Delancy Creven Ferguson Rashad Gooding Liam Mason Deandrea Miller Keyano Riley

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

Topic Chosen Junkanoo

Total Score 242

Team Rank 1

Coral Reefs

225

2

Coral Reefs

217

3

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Team 4 focused on the following areas of Junkanoo: Table 5: Summary of team 4 design project

Problem Route traffic and congestion

Insufficient Parking

Low Visibility

Issue Caused The route is Frederick St onto Bay St, then onto Elizabeth Ave, onto Shirley St and back to Frederick St. This causes congestion where Shirley St and Elizabeth Ave meet because that is where the entrance of the Accident & Emergency Dep. of PMH is located.

There insufficient parking spaces Downtown. Because of this people would park their cars in workplace parking lots, on the side of streets and in unsafe areas that can result your car being towed away, broken into or stolen.

There is a lack of lighting in the Downtown area and the festival takes place at night. This is a problem because it encourages crime because you can’t see much in the dark.

Solution • They proposed to replace Elizabeth Ave with East St so that there would be less congestion and more ways of diverting traffic around the parade.

• They proposed that this work would be done by a civil engineer

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Weapons

Every year there is either a brawl, stabbing, attempted rape or a shooting.

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Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

They proposed the idea of a multistory parking garage on the already existing parking lot next to the British Colonial Hilton. Estimated cost $18$36M They proposed that this work would be done by a civil engineer.

They proposed that solar powered panel street lights be placed on Bay St. This would lessen the chance of crime because there will now be more visibility. It is a green and efficient way to solve this problem.

They proposed that this work would be done by an electrical engineer They proposed that entrances to the Junkanoo area be closed off and to only have a few assigned locations to enter where there will be a security checkpoint at each entrance.

They proposed using Garrett Pro Pointer Metal Detectors to search for weapons. This has the following features: Pinpoint tip detection, 360 side screen detection area, LED light for low light areas, automatic tuning They proposed that these were designed by Electrical Engineers

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Image 15: Team 4 receiving awards for 1st place in the design project

Team 7 focused on the following issues facing Coral Reefs Table 6: Summary of team 7 design project

Cause Fishermen use bleach to draw out fish(crawfish)

Large ships steering into reefs due to lack of information

Too many corals are being severely damaged

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

Effect Kills corals with dangerous chemicals and poisons water

Solution It was proposed that instead of using bleach use Fish Oil to attract the crawfish. This is environmentally friendly and does not harm the coral reefs Unknowingly destroying fragile It was proposed to use corals witch unconstructively specialized buoys such as the affects the wave currents coming Intellicheck Mobilisa’s Aegeus toward the islands used by the US Navy that have multiple environmental sensors and can detect small boats Negatively impacting the It was proposed to use different economy (tourism, fishing metallic objects to act as place to industry etc‌) house coral polyps. The frames can be electrified to promote accelerated growth of the polyps similar to work done of the coast of Indonesia

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Team 8 focused on the following issues facing Coral Reefs Table 7: Summary of team 8 design project

Problem Drilling and Dredging

Issue caused This is a major problem for our coral reefs because when various oil companies drill for oil , they do not consider the fact that a marine habitat , the coral reef , is more than likely underneath there oil ships being destroyed.

Solution A trained civil engineer can build a water barrier from scrap metals from old boats or cars that alerts drillers/dredgers that they are approaching a coral reef zone. Also a computer science engineer, aeronautical engineer and electrical engineer can team up and build an underwater sensor also using scrap metals and used electrical wires that send signals to a satellite in space. The satellite can tap into the ships navigation system or computer and alert them of the approaching coral reef zones.

Fishing

Some fishermen use harpoons and spears to fish especially when capturing animals like whales. If the harpoon accidentally misses the fish and strikes the coral reef, the coral will suffer serious damage and probably die.

Coral reef calcification is caused by the rising acidity of the water. The pH optimum for the coral reef is eight. The waters have been recorded to reach about seven in pH which is not at all ideal living conditions for a coral reef. A chemical engineer can feed a solution of soda ash (contains sodium carbonate) through a chemical pump and place this solution into the water. Sodium carbonate can raise the pH to eight or higher.

Coral calcification

The oceans pH level is not always optimum for the coral reef to remain healthy. Therefore the coral reef begin to lose the hardness of their shells and begin to soften and become fragile because of calcification Although I have nothing against the tourist who visit our Bahamian shores, I must say this, Some tourist come to the Bahamas and go into our waters and break pieces of our coral reefs, some for money and some for collection. This is a problem because our reefs our being damaged and are dying and our marine life will begin to diminish and decline.

A computer science engineer can create water sensor from used car or machinery parts to detect water motions which can cause a protective barrier to activate whenever a force of some kind is detected like a spear or harpoon.

Underwater tourism

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A chemical engineer can run test on the cells of other organisms who regenerate limbs by testing a specific cell known as macrophages to see what is the exact cause of cell regeneration and the chemicals that help cause such a reaction. If successful a serum could be created and injected into the coral so that every time a tourist or individual tries to break off a piece of a coral, it will grow its appendage back.

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Ultimately, all participants were given a better understanding of how to apply technical solutions to real-world problems affecting our Bahama-land. Students were also able to develop their time-management and presentation skills during their sessions with the judges.

Image 16: Group 2 presenting on Junkanoo while sporting Junkanoo costumes

Image 17: Presenting on the problems facing coral reefs

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Public Panel Importance of STEM Education The BETA open panel discussion held on July 31st, the first of many to come, was found to engage and enlighten not only its audience but the panelists themselves. Panelists included Minister of Education, Science and Technology, the Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald, Ms. Myra McPhee, education and cultural specialist at the Embassy of the United States, Nassau Bahamas and Ms. Sossena Wood, National Chair for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).

Minister Fitzgerald has served in his role as Minister of Education for over 2 years and before his appointment he served as Senator from 2007-2012. In 1989 he obtained his Masters in Law degree from King’s College, University of London and in 1992 a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Shipping, Trade and Finance from City University Business School, London.

Ms. Myra McPhee has been working for the U.S. State Department at the U.S. Embassy Nassau as an Education and Cultural Specialist since July 2013. She has worked at several American Institutions of Higher Education including most recently Michigan State University where she was responsible for strategic planning and leadership development. Ms. McPhee earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Master of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs, both from The University of South Carolina.

Ms. Sossena Wood has served in her role as National Chair of the National Society of Black Engineers since May of 2013.

She is a doctoral candidate in bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, where she also earned her Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. A K. Leroy Irvis Fellow, GEM Fellow and Pitt Rising African American Leaders honoree, Wood is working to develop one of the first anatomically detailed human head phantoms and electromagnetic simulations to improve ultrahigh-field MRI. The goal of the panel was to have an open dialogue between the public, members of the BETA organization and other important figures in STEM and education that would serve to highlight the importance and value of STEM education to the Bahamas. The panel was moderated by BETA team members, Trenicka Rolle (President) and Travis Miller (Director of Communications).

The panel sought to address questions such as why STEM education is so important as we move into the future, what current STEM initiatives exist in the Bahamas and how countries like the U.S are paving the way forward with extensive STEM programs. Throughout the panel each speaker addressed these concerns in depth and in particular Minister Fitzgerald stressed that he wholeheartedly believes in STEM education and the opportunities that it presents to better the Bahamas. He spoke on how current initiatives such as the Pre-engineering magnet program at Anatol Rodgers High School is expected to prepare students for careers in engineering and will provide them the background and insight into these fields. He also spoke on how competitions such as the Battle of the Brains in Grand Bahama as well as the 17th Annual SECME (Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering) Mousetrap and Bottle Rocket Competition held in Grand Bahama seek to foster excitement and learning in science. Not to mention that there is a dire need to address the problems with 50% of students in government high schools not matriculating through the system to only finish with a receipt of a leaving certificate. As a result, Minister Fitzgerald mentioned current plans to help alleviate this problem by allowing for a standardized diploma. He believes that the ministry of education, as we move forward, will continue to work at improving the overall educational standard in the Bahamas and will seek to introduce programs and initiatives to better prepare our students for technical careers abroad and even here within our very own country.

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Image 18: Minister Fitzgerald speaking openly about STEM education and current initiatives chartered by the Ministry of Education. To the left of him, Ms. Sossena Wood and to the right of him is Travis Miller, executive board member of BETA.

Ms. McPhee pointed out that it is imperative that we as a nation in the Bahamas prepare and educate our students for at early ages for a future in science, technology engineering or mathematics. She was also schooled here in The Bahamas at Temple Christian Academy but found that opportunities to advance a career in STEM in the Bahamas did not exist then are still minimal today. With her experience in working at several universities throughout the United States she mentioned how universities begin making preparations for the freshmen four years before their freshmen arrive.

Specifically, students who are currently in the ninth grade, universities have now begun strategic planning for these students. This provides an even further incentive to create impactful and lasting STEM initiatives that can prepare Bahamian students to contribute to the growing technical world we live in. She stressed that the US Embassy is fully supportive of initiatives such as BETA that will help developing countries produce talent within their borders to catalyze further the development of these nations and make more of global footprint.

Image 19: Ms. Myra McPhee addressing one of the questions at the BETA Open Panel Discussion. Beside her are Ms. Sossena Wood and Minister Fitzgerald Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

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Ms. Wood spoke on how the NSBE’s Summer Engineering Experience for Kids camp brought together mentors from partner companies and students from all walks of life for 3 weeks of hands on learning in STEM. SEEK targets students in grades 3-5 and seeks to develop the pipeline of minorities entering into STEM by providing exposure to STEM through hands-on projects, the roles and responsibility of engineers, collegiate STEM mentors and images of African Americans in STEM. She paralleled how programs such as BETA and SEEK both will help to inspire the next generation of engineers.

She stressed that the problem of students not being engaged in STEM and in particular engineering at an early age are not exclusive to the Bahamas but is indeed evident in the US and in countries in Africa such as Ghana. It is a known fact that industry and government initiatives to recruit and retain a high-quality workforce with the appropriate academic qualifications and skill sets are hindered by the low numbers of students, especially underrepresented students, who pursue and obtain degrees in STEM. In the US only 18% of African American students in the fourth grade are proficient in math, and as we move forward to high school only 4% of African Americans are proficient in calculus.- a poignant and appalling statistic. Therefore, it is imperative that we keep programs such as the aforementioned going in order to provide intervention and resolve to these issues.

The inaugural BETA open panel discussion not only brought enrichment through insightful conversations in STEM but demonstrated that there is a dire need for public engagement at all levels to improve the state of STEM within the Bahamas. The BETA team seeks to improve and strengthen these panel discussions in hopes of providing a public forum for ideas and solutions that will provide advancement in STEM for our students at all levels, the working class of STEM professionals and those seeking to pursue these careers in the near future.

Image 20: Members of BETA, STEMBoard and the three panelists at the BETA Open Panel Discussion

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Final Expense Breakdown Table 8: Overview of final expenses

TOTAL EXPENSES

Accommodations

Actual

Food and Food Supplies

Hotela

$10,460.00

Transportation + Gas a Flights (FPO - NAS) [9]a Flights (WAS - NAS) [5]a Total

$1,724.28 $1,805.00 $2,105.00 $16,094.28

Daily Lunch (80) Catering - Panels (Anthony Allen) Pizza (Friday) Total

Decorations

Actual

Banners Logo Design Booklet Design Banner/Flyer Design Total

Publicityb

PR/Media for Camp Arthia Nixon Photocopying/Printingb Bahamas at Sunrise Total General Supplies

$285.00 $150.00 $175.00 $150.00 $760.00

Actual

$550.00 $1,000.00 $0.00 $300.00 $1,850.00

$219.38

Learning supplies for students (Notebooks, Flipcharts, Poster boards)

$642.71

Total

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Program Specific

Actual

$2,000.00 $500.00 $400.00 $2,900.00

Actual

Engineering Kits T-Shirts Other Total

$3,902.50

Awards & Prizes

Actual

Amazon Kindle Fire HD Tabletsa Certificates/Plaques/Trophie s Gifts Taxes & Fees Total

$2,487.62 $1,414.88

$0.00 $946.95 $200.00 $0.00 $1,146.95

Actual

Office Supplies (Pens, Pencils, Labels, Scissors, Glue, Paper, Sharpeners, Markers)

Lunch Supplies (Cups, Knives, Plates, Forks)

Actual $27,561.40

$45.58 $907.67

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Comparison of Expense Categories Awards 4% Program Specific (Kits, TShirts) 14%

Food and Food Supplies 11% Accomodations/Travel 58%

Supplies 3% Publicity 7% Decorations 3%

Accomodations/Travel

Decorations

Publicity

Supplies

Food and Food Supplies

Program Specific (Kits, T-Shirts)

Awards Figure 8: Percentage breakdown of total expenses by category

a. After expenditure for the BETA Camp 2014, various line items exceeded the original estimations for costs.

As a result when the budget was revised for a final time prior to the camp it was decided amongst camp organizers to forgo on awarding prizes to the students in terms of the tablets and reallocate those funds to the areas which were found to cost more than originally planned. b. For the publicity tab, the original budget had estimated a cost of $2550.00 which was then reduced $1850 as a result of obtaining in-kind sponsorship for printing/copying as well as hiring publicist to cover all radio interview bookings and newspaper press releases.

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Sponsors and Partners The 2014 BETA Camp could not have been a success without our many sponsors and partners. Sponsors all gave financial contributions to our initiative and we are very grateful. Our partners are those that worked closely with BETA to provided in-kind sponsorship and services to ensure the success of the camp.

Our Key partners included:    

STEMBoard The College of the Bahamas The National Society of Black Engineers The Fonzworth Bentley Leadership Institute

Our sponsors included: Table 9: List of sponsors and sponsorship level

Sponsor Rocket Fuel 'Gives Back' Millennium Engineering and Integration Co. United States of America Embassy RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Ltd. Sun Oil Limited Phoenix Engineering Group Ltd. Caribbean Civil Group Ltd Automotive Industrial Distributors Ltd. Kappa Alpha Psi (Nassau) BNY Mellon Bank Bahamas Society of Engineers Island Site Development Ltd. The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

Sponsorship Level Platinum Gold

Amount $10,000 $5,000

Gold

$5,000

Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze

$2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $1,000 $1,000

Bronze Contributor Contributor Contributor Contributor

$1,000 $500 $500 $500 $500

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Title/Platinum Sponsor ($10,000) Rocket Fuel “Gives Back”

Rocket Fuel “Gives Back” was the key sponsor of the camp and received press associated with the title sponsorship role.

Rocket Fuel “Gives Back” is the foundation and charity arm of Rocket Fuel, a digital advertising company specializing in artificial intelligence services. The lead of the foundation, Kiwoba Allaire, flew down to represent the company at the 2014 BETA Camp and was a speaker at the opening ceremony.

Image 21: Rocket Fuel "Gives Back" leader Kiwoba Allaire with Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald at the 2014 BETA Camp

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Gold Sponsors ($5,000) Millennium Engineering and Integration Co.

Millennium is a high-end engineering contractor specializing in the aerospace industry. The company has been a longtime supporter of community outreach and has funded several initiatives in the areas of education and health.

Embassy of the United States

The Embassy of the United States in the Bahamas has been mandated by President Obama to focus on the STEM fields.

Being a Gold supporter of the 2014 BETA Camp aligns with this mission. Ms. Neda Brown represented the Embassy and was a speaker at the camp, as well as Ms. Myra McPhee who was a judge in the final design project as well as a panelist for our evening panel discussion.

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Silver Sponsors ($2,500) RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Ltd.

RBC Royal Bank is an international institution and the Bahamas affiliate has been a long-time supporter of Bahamian youth and culture. RBC was represented by Mr. Larry Wilson at the 2014 BETA Camp closing ceremony, who received a plaque on behalf of the company.

Sun Oil Limited

Sun Oil Limited is a subsidiary of FOCOL (Freeport Oil Company Limited) and is an oil company based out of the Bahamas, with offices in Freeport and in Nassau. Sun Oil has supported youth and sports in the Bahamas for many years.

Sun Oil was represented by Rufus Johnson, who received a plaque on behalf of the company as well as Andre Moss, who was a judge in the design project competition.

Phoenix Engineering Group Ltd.

Phoenix Engineering Group is a multi-discipline environmental, design, engineering, and construction firm, providing professional services in the chemical, manufacturing, utilities, telecommunications, and hotel industries. With employees based in Freeport, and Nassau, Phoenix is a strong advocate for youth development in the engineering.

Phoenix Engineering was represented by Nickola Dawkins, who received a plaque on behalf of the company and was also a judge in the final design project.

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Bronze Sponsors ($1000) Caribbean Civil Group Ltd

Caribbean Civil Group is a civil engineering consulting company firm based in Nassau, Bahamas. The company was founded in 2001 and is an employer of both professionals and students in the engineering discipline. CCG was represented by Mr. Francis Clarke and Ms. Kenya Longley at the closing ceremony, who both acted as judges for the final design project.

Automotive Industrial Distributors Ltd.

The vision of AID is to become the leading provider of automotive, household, hardware, and industrial products and services in The Bahamas. With strong ties to the automotive industry, which is heavily influenced by STEM, AID is a supporter of the BETA mission.

Kappa Alpha Psi (Nassau)

Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity was founded in 1911 and is committed to giving back to the community through the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation. The Bahamas Alumni Chapter is comprised of individuals from the fraternity that are currently living in the Bahamas.

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Contributors/Student Sponsors ($500) As a part of the camp we opened registration up to students from Freeport, Grand Bahama. These students were chaperoned by volunteer Rochelle Lockhart, as well as BETA team members Trenicka Rolle and Bradley Thompson. In order to subsidize their travel and lodging we asked companies to give donations to sponsor students from Freeport.

Island Site Development

ISD is a civil engineering and roadwork development company dedicated to civil works and community development. ISD was represented by Albrion Symonette who served as a judge for the final design competition and received a plaque on behalf of the company.

Bahamas Society of Engineers

BSE is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote engineering awareness in the many engineering disciplines in the Bahamas. BSE was represented by LaToya Johnson who received a certificate at the closing ceremonies on behalf of the society.

Grand Bahama Port Authority

The GBPA is responsible for overseeing the residential and business development of Freeport, and providing duty free incentives for overseas business. The GBPA employs many STEM professionals and recognizes the value of promoting STEM to our youth, particularly those in Freeport. GBPA gave $500 to sponsor a student from Freeport to attend the 2014 BETA Camp.

BNY Mellon Bank

BNY Mellon Bank is the oldest, continuously operating financial institution in the U.S. They have a strong commitment to social responsibility and invest in community initiatives around the world.

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Partners STEMBoard

STEMBoard is a job-placement community that connects students and early-career professionals with mentors and recruiters hailing from top companies, universities and government agencies. STEMBoard is a strong advocate for promoting STEM to minorities and has ties to the Bahamas through CEO Aisha Bowe, who is of Bahamian heritage.

As a key partner, STEMBoard supported the 2014 BETA Camp through multiple avenues:     

Soliciting of sponsorship funding in the US on behalf of BETA Coordination of key speaker, Derek “Fonzworth Bentley” Watkins Donation of time and resources from key STEMBoard employees in the coordination of the Aerospace stream Coordination of public relations for the 2014 BETA Camp Financial support of the camp

The College of the Bahamas

The College of the Bahamas is a publicly funded institution of higher education operating three main campuses across the Bahamas. COB has been serving the Bahamas for over 35 years and is currently transitioning to University status.

COB has a strong commitment to the educational development of youth in the Bahamas. Dr. Carlton Watson, former chair of the school of Mathematics, Physics and Technology and current Dean of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science, was a key team member in the 2014 BETA Camp and facilitated the use of classrooms, computer labs, chemistry labs as well as auditorium space in the Harry C. Moore Library on the COB campus.

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The National Society of Black Engineers

NSBE’s mission is "to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community." NSBE is a student-led organization that was founded in 1971 and has since spread to have hundreds of chapters across the US and the globe. NSBE was represented at the 2014 BETA Camp by 2013-2015 NSBE Chairperson, Sossena Wood, who was the keynote speaker at our closing ceremony as well as a panelist in our public panel. NSBE also contributed in-kind donations of t-shirts and stationary supplies to the 2014 BETA Camp.

Fonzworth Bentley Leadership Institute

The Fonzworth Bentley Leadership Institute was founded by Derek “Fonzworth Bentley” Watkins, former assistant to multi-millionaire celebrity P. Diddy. Derek Watkins was the opening speaker at the 2014 BETA Camp and provided a discount on his speaking services. He also gave a reduced price on his book “Advance Your Swagger” allowing all students at the camp to receive a free signed copy of the book. Derek and other members of the institute also hosted an “etiquette lunch” at the camp, teaching students about proper dining etiquette for professional lunches.

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In-Kind Contributors Nine-to-Five Imports

Nine-to-Five is a Bahamian owned import-export company, with offices both in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Nassau, Bahamas. 9-5 assisted the 2014 BETA Camp with in-kind sponsorship of their import services, allowing for engineering lesson materials that could not be purchased on –island to be delivered for the camp.

Anthony Allen Catering

Anthony Allen’s Catering provided the lunch for the entire camp as well as the hors d’ouevres for the public panel. The company also offered discounts on food services and delivery.

Amar Kai Designs

Amar Kai Designs, owned by Kaivanya Sweeting, designed the logos for the BETA Camp and the BETA organization, as well as the banners and publications for the camp, offering a discounted price on her services.

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Public Relations & Media The 2014 BETA Camp had multiple press releases, on-air radio segments, courtesy calls and social media exposure.

Public Relations was coordinated by Felicity Ingraham and Arthia Nixon. Social Media was coordinated by Najah Plakaris.

Below are some highlights of the press that was received for the camp.

Image 22: BETA President Trenicka Rolle on the phone live with ZNS Northern Edition

Image 23: BETA President, Trenicka Rolle and Vice-President, D’AndrÊ Wilson-Ihejirika, on Guardian 96.9 Morning Blend with Dwight Strachan

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Image 24: Excerpt from Nassau Guardian article highlighting the BETA camp and sponsor Sun Oil Ltd. Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

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Image 25: BETA and STEMBoard highlighted in the Big T of the Tribune

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Image 26: BETA President, Trenicka Rolle, Director of Communications, Travis Miller, and Vice-President, D’AndrÊ Wilson-Ihejirika live on Bahamas at Sunrise

Image 27: BETA, STEMBoard and Fonzworth Bentley meet with Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald

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Image 28: Social Media coverage of speech from Title Sponsor, Rocket Fuel "Gives Back"

Image 29: Social Media coverage of closing keynote, National Society of Black Engineers chair, Sossena Wood

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Camp Outcomes Throughout the camp there were three groups of people working to make the camp a success, the instructors/organizers, volunteers and students. The camp consisted of 11 instructors for which there were 3 Aerospace, 1 Mechanical, 1 Biomedical, 1 Chemical, 2 Civil/Environmental, 2 Computer Science/Web Development and 1 Electrical. There were 12 volunteers who were split to 2 volunteers per stream based on their interest and college/professional backgrounds. Lastly, as previously mentioned there were 77 students enrolled within the camp. On the following page you will find feedback specifcally from the students.

Students In order to gauge students input on the camp exit surveys were given to students on the last day of camp.

Summarized below are key aspects of how students view engineering and their input on the camp itself.

Description of Engineers Students were asked to give three words that describe an engineer based on what was learnt throughout the week of camp. Key words that the majority of students used included:     

    

Helpful Self-less Hardworking Smart Intelligent

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Passionate Creativity Innovative Skillful Resourceful

Committed Diligent/Persistent Versatile Wealthy

Level of Interest:

Post Camp Interest in Engineering Level of Interest Scale

5 4 3 2 1 0 2

4

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Number of Students Level of Interest Figure 9: Student survey response for the level of interest in engineering after BETA Camp

Note: There were 2 students who did not complete the survey due to absence. Scales were rated with 1 being the least and 5 the greatest.

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Understanding of What Engineers Do:

Post Camp Understanding of Engineering 5

Scale (1-5)

4 3 2 1 0 11

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Number of Students Figure 10: Student survey response of their understanding of the function of engineers after BETA Camp

Assessment of Camp Overall:

Rating Scale

Student Rating of Overall Camp 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 3

4

12

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Number of Students Figure 11: Student survey response for their rating on the overall camp

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Assessment of Individual Engineering Streams:

Average Rating for Engineering Streams 10 9.5 9 8.5 8 7.5 7 6.5 6 5.5 5 Aero/Mech

Biomedical

Chemical

Civil

Computer Science/Web Dev

Electrical

Figure 12: Student survey response on individual engineering streams

Likelihood of Attending Another BETA Camp:

Ratings for Attending Another BETA Camp 5

Scale

4 3 2 1 0 1

2

14

12

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Number of Students Figure 13: Student survey response for attending BETA Camp if offered again next summer

Based on the information above 92% of students have a high level of interest of engineering after BETA Camp.

85% of students who attended the camp have a better understanding of the role of engineers. 91% of students gave the overall camp a rating of 8 and above. Lastly, 77% of students gave a rating of 4-5 that suggest they would attend another BETA Camp if offered.

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Future Recommendations The 2014 BETA Camp exceeded expectations in a number of ways, including funds raised, students reached and overall feedback. There are some areas that we are hoping to improve on, specifically, ratio of female to male students, as well as number of instructors per stream.

Table 10: Summary of pre-camp targets and post camp actuals

Number of Students Number of Freeport Students Gender Ratio (female-male) Fundraising Target Average Number of Instructors per Stream Total Number of Volunteers Student Feedback (out of 10) Post Camp Interest in Engineering (out of 5)

Pre-Camp Target 60 10 50% - 50% $30,000 2 15 8.0 4.0

Post-Camp Actual 77 15 28% - 72% $32,500 1.8 12 8.97 4.43

We surveyed our students, volunteers and instructors for potential recommendations.

Student Recommendations Students primarily wanted to see improvements in the following areas: 

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Time Management o Increase length of camp to 2 weeks o More time to work on design projects o More breaks in-between programming o Decrease time before activities to start each morning o Time to walk to classroom from the library (for those in the A-block) Lunch o Alternate food options for included lunch. o Option to buy from restaurants in the area. o Have more water/drinks available Programming o Include more outdoor activities/recess on the basketball court o More games/icebreaker activities o Have fieldtrips o More stream options (marine engineering, nuclear engineering) o Decrease the amount of introduction lectures on the first day o Less lectures and more hands-on activites o Don’t have random group assignments for design project Target Audience o Increase the age limit of the camp o Accommodate more students from other family islands (feedback from applicants not accepted)

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Volunteer Recommendations Volunteers primarily wanted to see improvements in the following areas: 

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Time Management o Increasing the length of time for students to perform experiments and have discussions of theory o More time for students to work on design projects Organization of the streams o Having activity materials set-up before-hand to save time o Having more comprehensive instructions for activities o Allowing volunteers more autonomy in instructing the class (provide them with lesson guides) o Testing out activities before-hand to ensure they run smoothly in the session o Having stream content tie-in to the design project theme o Allow students to give evaluation of volunteers to allow for volunteer personal development

Instructor Recommendations Instructors primarily wanted to see improvements in the following areas: 

 

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Resource Management o Having at least 2 instructors per stream o Having at least 2 volunteers per stream o Ensuring all students have access to an individual computer and do not have to share Time Management o Students needed more time to complete some of the in-stream assignments Organization o In general, better coordination between the stream leads in terms of scheduling and content expectations. o Have daily debriefs with the stream leads and organizing team to ensure alignment for remainder of the camp Programming o Have stream activities tie-in to the design project topic o Having field trips to specific engineering/technical sites

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BETA 10-Year Outlook BETA’s mission is centered on 3 tenants:   

To strengthen STEM education To create opportunities for engineers To address vital infrastructure issues throughout the Bahamas

With these in mind, over the next 5-10 years, the objectives of the BETA team will target these key areas.

Strengthening STEM Education BETA’s desire is to ensure that the exposure of engineering to Bahamian youth exists. Securing a future of driven and technically equipped engineers is a fundamental initiative of BETA. There are several directives to which BETA will achieve this facet of the mission.

1. BETA Camp In order to increase the efficacy, quality and success of the BETA Camp over the next 5-10 years the BETA team plans to: do the following within specific time frames: 1 year  Increase the number of instructors to a minimum of 2 per discipline to add value to each engineering stream.  Train college and university students to act as volunteers to help instructors carry out the lesson plan for each stream.  Increase hands-on activities and labs in order to stimulate students via engaged learning  Construct design projects that will encompass the knowledge from each discipline while increasing time allotment for work on projects  Improve the technical design exhibition to encompass experiments and activities with finished products to display as well as improving the overall visual layout with signage and poster boards.  Include group exercises to build rapport and team building amongst students and instructors/volunteers.

2 years  Expand BETA Camp to both Grand Bahama and New Providence, while inviting students from the near outer islands such as Abaco, Bimini, Grand Cay, Andros, Eleuthera etc. to attend.  Create a separate Mechanical Engineering stream so that mechanical engineering can be taught in depth.  Include other “specialized” engineering disciplines such as marine engineering, industrial engineering and nuclear engineering.  Allow for field trips to various companies and sites that relate to engineering.

5 years  Increase the overall number of target students with a focus on female recruitment, with a target of 5050 female-male enrolment in the next 5 years.

10 years  Establish satellite camps on targeted Family Islands

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2. High School Curriculum The BETA team realizes that it’s also important to engage students throughout the academic year. Hence, it is the intent to work with the Ministry of Education to produce a curriculum that can give students a preengineering background that will provide an advantage upon entering college. Such a curriculum will be based on the following and will be executed within specified timeframes: 1 year  Establish contacts within the Ministry of Education for curriculum development 2 years  Develop a qualified team of BETA sub-committee members specifically devoted to curriculum development that works with contact within the Ministry of Education.

5 years  Work closely with Ministry of education to revamp the current curriculum and create a pilot within specified schools to achieve the following: o Completion of the Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology (OR Combined Science) and English BGCSE’s with grades of B and above for 75% of participants. o Commencement of the 12th grade for 100% of participants o Cumulative GPA’s of 3.0 and above for 75% of participants 10 years  Inclusion of pre-calculus and calculus math, introductory physics for engineers, intermediate chemistry, introductory statics, culture and leadership development, enterprising and entrepreneurship as options within the curriculum.

3. After-School Programs Beyond the in-school curriculum, it is important that students with keen interest in STEM have avenues to foster and develop that interest. After-school programs are great ways to keep students involved in learning beyond the classroom. This after-school program will be based on a more hands-on approach to learning and discovering all that STEM entails in terms of its introduction to its applications: 1 year  Identify key contacts within College of the Bahamas to assist in the development of this program 2 years  Partner with the College of The Bahamas’ Department of Mathematics, Physics and Technology and the National Society of Black Engineers College of the Bahamas chapter to begin a pilot for this program at the COB campus after school.

5 years  Develop a detailed curriculum, which can be easily implemented universally by school teachers and/or volunteers across New Providence and test within specified schools.

10 years  Expand the completed program curriculum to Freeport schools and the family islands

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4. Nation-Wide Competitions In order to gauge national support of STEM initiatives as well as an excitement among students, the BETA team hopes to introduce national competitions for Bahamian students. This will not only help students to become more excited and engaged in STEM but help to build teamwork, problem solving skills and creativity to solving national issues within the country. Based on outcomes from the BETA Camp 2014 Design Project Competition, students have the ability to work together and develop innovative solutions that can be viable solutions to current and pressing national issues. Such issues can be tackled from a technical/scientific perspective.

1 year  Identify key contacts across the nation currently doing STEM related competition (LEGO League, Science Fairs, etc.)

2 years  Determine primary focus area for pilot competition to be hosted by BETA  Work with external contacts to develop competition guidelines and details 5 years  Successfully implement competition across New Providence with a minimum of 10 teams participating.

10 years  Expand the completed program to Freeport and the family islands

Creating Opportunities for Engineers As a team composed mainly of engineers, we share the common thread that many of us have studied abroad and the opportunities to return our knowledge and skills to the Bahamas are limited. Even more so we are discouraged by many to not return home as we will be better off if we stay in the countries where we studied.

It is the objective of BETA to dispel the mindset that we as educated and technically inclined Bahamians are better off in places other than our own country. We hope to bring together the existing labor force of Bahamian engineers, recent college graduates of engineering and those desiring to pursue engineers in order to bridge the gap between the three groups.

It is our aim to partner and continue to build our relationship which with the Bahamas Society of Engineers (BSE) to provide a network of Bahamian engineers that will provide opportunities in the following areas: 1. Youth/ New Grad Employment In order to increase the number of qualified technical professionals in the Bahamian workforce, we want to develop our young people and present them with opportunities upon graduation. This will be done through Internship and Mentorship programming.

1 year  Establish connections with BETA Camp corporate sponsors and BETA Camp student volunteers to begin the process of an internship/mentorship program.  Work with contacts within BSE to source professionals for mentorship opportunities  Establish partnership with College of the Bahamas to source youth for mentorship/internship program 2 years  Create a BETA sub-committee to develop the curriculum for a mentorship/internship program 5 years  Successfully pair at least 5 individuals to mentors/internship opportunities 10 years  Work with companies and technical professionals to continually improve the technical development of youth though their in-house mentoring/internship programs Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

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2. Technical Development To keep local technical professionals engaged and globally competitive, it is important to hold events that will allow experienced engineers and technologists to continually learn and develop. This will be done by organizing public panels, technical workshops, and conferences: 1 year  Develop partnership with BSE to source volunteers and to establish workshop/public panel/conference development committee.

2 years  Create BETA sub-committee to develop key focus areas for technical development in collaboration with BSE.  Host pilots for public panels and technical workshops 5 years  Establish program that hosts a minimum of 1 public panel and 2 technical workshops per year.  Create BETA sub-committee for conference development 10 years  Host first BETA technical conference with minimum of 100 attendees

Addressing Vital Infrastructure Issues throughout the Bahamas BETA and its partner believe that we are vital to helping the Bahamas progress as a nation. We face many issues as a country, especially as it relates to our infrastructure. Ongoing issues such as traffic, roads, bridges, water supply, marine life, electricity, development of new industries, job security and so many others plague our country today.

We hope as a group to be able to affect change in these areas through the following stages: 1 year  Continue to develop BETA programming in partnership with contacts in BSE, COB, government and industry.

2 years  Through pilots of public panel engagements, determine key areas of consideration for technical improvement 5 years  Create a BETA consulting sub-committee, in collaboration with BSE, of technical professionals with a common goal to affect change in these areas.  Establish contacts in industry through BETA Camp corporate sponsors and through other BETA programming 10 years  Complete development of the BETA consulting sub-committee and complete detailed action plan for implementation of identified changes

By focusing on these key initiatives over the next 10 years, we believe we can truly make a positive impact on the Bahamas in the areas of Engineering and Technology.

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

www.betac242.com

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Questions or Comments?

E betac242@gmail.com W www.betac242.com

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp

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