Jacksonville, AL – As originally reported by Brett Buckner with JSU’s media department, two faculty members from Jacksonville State University have received a $50,000 grant from the Alabama State Department of Education to expand a STEAM-focused summer learning program for regional students.
Dr. Ahmad Alhammouri and Dr. Amiee Weathers of the university’s College of Education and Professional Studies were awarded the Alabama Summer- and After-school Program (ASAP) grant, which will support enhancements to the college’s annual STEAM summer camp.
The funding will allow the program to provide more immersive and hands-on learning opportunities for approximately 40 students who have completed fifth and sixth grades. Dr. Weathers, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education, said the program will focus on deeper engagement rather than larger enrollment.
“While that number is smaller than last summer, the program will include deeper, more hands-on learning opportunities,” Weathers said. “Students will participate in on-campus classes taught by faculty from the College of Education, as well as off-campus field trips to the new Challenger Learning Center and the McWane Science Center.”
Organizers said the addition of field trips was inspired by feedback collected from parents, students, instructors, and staff following last year’s program.
“We really took the feedback seriously,” said Dr. Alhammouri, Associate Department Head and Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education. “We took that information and included it this year. It’s going to be a special event for these kids.”
Through the ASAP grant, the program titled “The Summer- and AfterSchool Scholar: Explore, Investigate, and Create” will include both an after-school mathematics enrichment component and a week-long STEAM camp. The initiative is designed to strengthen students’ skills in mathematics, science, engineering, and literacy through hands-on instruction.
“We are going to engage the students in STEM activities in a fun way,” Alhammouri said. “Our goal is to improve their perception of mathematics and science, and advance their knowledge of these subjects.”
Another new feature funded through the grant is the addition of on-site STEM days at partner schools in the region during April and August. These visits are intended to promote STEM learning within after-school programs and expand the program’s impact beyond the summer camp.
“Through this grant, we are hoping to learn more about how immersive, experience-based STEM programs impact student interest, confidence, and engagement,” Weathers said. “We want students to leave the program more confident, more curious, and more interested in STEM than when they arrived.”
Program organizers also noted that introducing younger students to academic opportunities on campus can help build early connections to higher education.
“We can’t forget,” Alhammouri said, “these students could be future Gamecocks.”
The initiative builds on several years of partnerships between the university and local schools and aims to help reduce learning gaps while encouraging curiosity, confidence, and real-world problem-solving skills among participating students.
