Kidtek University in West Burlington, Iowa, is Southeastern Community College’s popular STEM-based summer camp for fourth through ninth grade students. The program lets young people in rural Iowa explore over 30 subjects related to science, technology, engineering and math, including animation, robotics, cooking and cybersecurity.
The camp lets kids have fun and dream big. It also empowers the next generation of welders, machinists, engineers, scientists and teachers who will help keep southeast Iowa’s community and workforce vibrant and thriving.
Kidtek energizes young people in the Burlington area to choose a career in STEM by making science fun. Campers uncover a variety of related career paths as they learn reasoning, problem solving and the scientific method. The goal is to inspire continuous learning all the way through high school.
“We are in education to build and mold our next generation,” said Beth Nickel, director of sales and marketing for the SCC Center for Business. “Nothing is more satisfying than seeing kids light up when they get a STEM concept taught at camp. Their smiles make all the work we do to provide Kidtek worth it.”
To ensure every student in the Burlington area has the chance to have that experience that could lead to a STEM career, SCC offers scholarships.
“This year, more than 40% of Kidtek campers qualified for the free and reduced school lunch program,” said Nickel. “The generous support of the community and companies like Alliant Energy allowed us to provide scholarships for all kids with the greatest financial need.”
As a company with a strong commitment to workforce readiness and STEM initiatives, Alliant Energy is privileged to support SCC’s Kidtek U.