New Providence, Bahamas – STEM – the acronym which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is a global curriculum focusing on these four disciplines. In recent years, the focus on STEM education has given young people across the world access to programs and tuition, which prepares them for a number of lucrative careers in such fields as Industrial Engineering, Statistics or Computer Information Technology.
Founded by engineers Trenicka Rolle and D’André Wilson-Ihejirika in March 2014, BETA Camp has worked closely with institutions across The Bahamas, to introduce the STEM Curriculum to interested students around
the country.
“The program is comprised of individuals who are deeply passionate about STEM training. We try to use our technical expertise to inspire these students and improve the opportunities made available to them through a
series of collaborative efforts – and that includes our corporate partnership with Bahamas Waste Limited” explained Rolle.
For the past four years, Bahamas Waste Ltd has supported the BETA Camp which has held sessions in New Providence and on Grand Bahama Island, Abaco, Andros, Eleuthera, and Exuma.
“The relationship between the BETA Camp and Bahamas Waste has grown immensely” she noted, “since the very beginning the company has opened its doors to our campers providing them with tours of the facilities,
teaching them about the various careers available to them within the waste management industry and of course, assisting the program through monetary donations as well.”
“The waste management industry depends heavily on the expertise of STEM principals” explained Bahamas Waste Operations Manager, Ethelyn Davis. “There are many different career opportunities in waste that require expertise in science, engineering and a good math background, so Bahamas Waste is particularly keen on supporting programs where Bahamian students can be trained to meet our business’ real needs.”
BETA Camp 2018 was held under the theme: ‘The Smart City Challenge: Innovating the Future of Island Life’. As part of that challenge, this year’s group of students focused on integrating technology into Bahamian society
and public spaces to improve areas such as safety, environment and communication.
In addition to the highly anticipated field tours, and technical expo, campers were also treated to a special keynote address from Kimberly Walker LaGrue who serves as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of
New Orleans.
“As the first woman appointed to this position, we found it important to bring her in to speak to our campers” noted Rolle. “Part of our mission is to engage more young women in STEM studies and so it was really important to us that we showcased the accomplishments of women in
STEM careers” she said.