East Panhandle Times

Mason Janney was selected to represent Berkeley County at the Appalachian STEM Academy Middle School Camp last month.

Janney traveled to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on July 13 for a week of hands-on learning experiences focusing on STEM activities. The Appalachian STEM Academy, funded through the Appalachian Regional Commission, gives students throughout the Appalachian region the chance to work with award-winning scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Janney first learned about the camp through his father, Michael, who encouraged him to apply. After attending a similar camp last year, Janney thought it would be a great opportunity. Janney was one of five students from West Virginia chosen to participate in the camp.

Throughout the week, Janney worked alongside 24 other middle school students. Each day, they switched between three stations that focused on 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and city planning, spending an hour and a half to two hours learning more about the different subjects.

Janney learned how AI isn’t just about supercomputers but also offers easy-to-use programs that people can use in their daily lives. The students all got to work with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to learn more about what goes into city planning and how they can use technology to help their community.

During the last two days of the camp, all the students were split into groups to complete a special project where they were presented with a problem and had to use everything they’d learned to come up with a solution. Janney and his group members decided to find a way to fix potholes in their city by using 3D printing and AI.

First, they used AI to locate potholes and then found a filament that they could use to fill the holes as a clean alternative. Once they completed their research, the groups presented their work to those in charge of the program so that they could use their ideas in the future.

“We spent nine hours just working on this project,” Janney said. “When it was time to present it, we all had it down. It was a bit stressful and scary since we were presenting in front of some important people at the academy, but it was a lot of fun.”

In addition to all their STEM activities, students also got to visit Oak Ridge National Laboratory where scientists researched how to develop nuclear bombs. Students explored the laboratory’s museum and learned more about its history. They also visited the University of Tennessee and walked around campus while completing a rope course focused on teamwork.

“My favorite part was probably meeting new people and making friends,” Janney said. “I got to meet many kids my age from all around the East Coast. I met one person from Mississippi, someone from another part of West Virginia, and someone from New York. It was really cool.”

Through his experience at camp, Janney gained valuable knowledge while enjoying collaborative work with peers his age. He encourages other students to participate in such camps for personal growth and learning opportunities. This year he will attend Hedgesville High School and hopes to apply what he learned towards solving problems within his community.