Mesa Public Schools, Arizona’s largest school district, has announced a new summer STEM camp program that will offer free, week-long camps in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to 2,000 students from Title I schools across the district.
The camps, running in June and July, will be held at six school sites and feature hands-on activities in robotics, environmental science, coding, aerospace engineering, and biomedical science. Each camp is staffed by certified teachers and supported by volunteers from local technology companies and Arizona State University.
“Summer learning loss is real, and it hits our most vulnerable students the hardest,” said Mesa superintendent Dr. Andi Fourlis. “These camps keep kids engaged, build skills, and show them that STEM careers are within their reach.”
The program is funded by a $1.8 million grant from the Boeing Company, which has a significant manufacturing presence in Mesa, and supplemented by contributions from the district’s foundation and several technology firms in the East Valley.
Boeing’s Mesa site, which produces AH-64 Apache helicopters and other defense aircraft, employs thousands of engineers and technicians. The company sees the camps as an investment in the region’s future workforce.
“The students in these camps today could be the engineers designing the next generation of aircraft tomorrow,” said Boeing Mesa site leader Maria Torres. “We want them to see that connection.”
Each camp includes a field trip component, with visits to ASU research labs, the Arizona Science Center, and local technology companies. Students also participate in a capstone project that they present to family members on the final day.
Registration priority is given to students at the district’s 40 Title I schools, where at least 40 percent of students come from low-income families. Transportation and lunch are provided at no cost.
“My son would never have access to something like this otherwise,” said parent Lisa Morales, whose child participated in a smaller pilot program last summer. “He came home every day excited about what he’d learned. It changed his attitude about school.”
The district plans to evaluate the program’s impact on academic performance and STEM interest, with the goal of expanding to additional sites in future summers.
