Over the course of two full days in early August, the Orin Smith STEM Wing of W.F. West High School in Chehalis transformed into a buzzing hub of curiosity and discovery. Nearly 90 Lewis County high school students traded summer break for science experiments, opportunities to learn about research careers, and yes, a new spin on cornhole.
Forty-five researchers from the University of Washington’s Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM) joined the fun, marking the institute’s third time helping lead the camp after previous visits in 2018 and 2022. This year, 17 ISCRM labs were represented at the STEM Camp.
The annual summer program is supported by the Chehalis Foundation, the Chehalis School District, the Smith Family Foundation, Timberland Bank, the Chehalis Tribe and the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
Over two days, students rotated through six hands-on lessons designed to make regenerative medicine both understandable and unforgettable. Activities, led by ISCRM faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates, explored topics from the microscopic to the monumental: organ physiology, DNA structure, neuroplasticity, heart mechanics, tissue regeneration, spinal cord repair, and the role of the pancreas in diabetes.
With names like Brains and Beanbags: Neuroplasticity Cornhole, Hop into Regeneration, and Pump it Up: What Makes Our Hearts Beat, the sessions blended serious science with interactive play, involving silly string, cotton candy, food labels, giant bags of balloons, and even patches that had traveled to the International Space Station. Students extracted their own DNA, held real human organs, mapped the heart’s electrical system, and explored futuristic technologies like biomaterials and kidney chips.
While some students reported assuming that STEM was just hard math, that medical science was dull, or that only doctors could understand the human body, they left with a new view: STEM is broad, collaborative, and brimming with exciting real-world applications. “I used to think organs were gross,” one student admitted. “Now I think they’re awesome.”
“The camp is such an incredible opportunity for high school students that are interested in STEM or just want to learn more about it,” said Lynn Panther, STEM coordinator for the Chehalis School District, in an email to the Chehalis Chronicle.
“It was so much fun getting talk to the about the research we do,” says Ed Kelly, a professor of pharmaceutics. “These young minds are the next generation of scientists, and I hope we were able to inspire them to pursue their dreams-whatever they may be. We’re grateful to the organizers and WF West High School for hosting this wonderful event.”