Summer hydropower camp offered for high school students
Courtesy photo A participant in the 2017 Hydropower and STEM Center Academy works on a solar car. Applications for the 2018 summer program will be accepted through May 4.
WENATCHEE — Applications are open for a summer science program, focused on hydropower, sponsored by the Foundation for Water Energy and Education. Applications will be accepted for the Hydropower and STEM Center Academy through May 4. The program is scheduled for June 18 through 22 at Rocky Reach Dam north of Wenatchee.
The academy is open to regional high school students, including Grant County high schools.
Classes include an example of hydropower in action, in this case building a water wheel, building a solar car and a workshop on drones, including drone flying demonstrations. Participants will tour the generator floor at Rocky Reach and visit Lake Chelan Dam and the powerhouse, as well as the Microsoft Data Center in Quincy. There are also tours of Rocky Reach’s fish bypass system and its fish sampling center, and a field vegetation survey at Crescent Bar.
The academy also includes information on careers in the hydro field such as mechanical and electrical engineering, line school, fiber optics and careers at the Grant County PUD. College advisors and industry professionals will talk about the education and prerequisites needed for careers in the hydropower industry.
Teens can apply online at fwee.org.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.