2014 beta camp annual report

2014 ANNUAL REPORT

Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement [email protected]

betac242.com

Abstract The 2014 BETA Camp was proven to be a success with an overall enrollment of 77 students. Students were given an introductory and in depth knowledge on various engineering disciplines. The camp included 6 different engineering streams to which students were split into based on first and second preference. The camp included collaborations with STEMBoard, the College of the Bahamas, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Fonzworth Bentley Leadership Institute.

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Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement Camp www.betac242.com 2

Table of Contents Letter from the President....................................................................................................................................................... 3

About BETA ............................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Camp Overview ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Camp Demographics .............................................................................................................................................................. 6

Summary of Stream Activities ............................................................................................................................................... 9

Biomedical Engineering Stream .......................................................................................................................................... 9

Chemical Engineering Stream ........................................................................................................................................... 11

Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering Stream .................................................................................................................. 13

Civil & Environmental Engineering Stream ....................................................................................................................... 14

Computer Science & Web Development Stream .............................................................................................................. 16

Electrical Engineering Stream ........................................................................................................................................... 18

Technical Demonstration .................................................................................................................................................. 20

Design Project ....................................................................................................................................................................... 21

Public Panel .......................................................................................................................................................................... 27

Final Expense Breakdown .................................................................................................................................................... 30

Sponsors and Partners ......................................................................................................................................................... 32

Title/Platinum Sponsor ($10,000) ..................................................................................................................................... 33

Gold Sponsors ($5,000) ..................................................................................................................................................... 34

Silver Sponsors ($2,500) .................................................................................................................................................... 35

Bronze Sponsors ($1000) .................................................................................................................................................. 36

Contributors/Student Sponsors ($500) ............................................................................................................................. 37

Partners ............................................................................................................................................................................. 38

In-Kind Contributors .......................................................................................................................................................... 40

Public Relations & Media ..................................................................................................................................................... 41

Camp Outcomes ................................................................................................................................................................... 46

Future Recommendations .................................................................................................................................................... 49

Student Recommendations .............................................................................................................................................. 49

Volunteer Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................... 50

Instructor Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................... 50

BETA 10-Year Outlook .......................................................................................................................................................... 51

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Letter from the President BETA as an organization and in particular BETA Camp was once an idea and today has become a reality. It still amazes

me that what started off as an online conversation between two individuals gained enough momentum to energize

conference calls between young Bahamian engineers, scientists and technologist in the United States, Canada and The

Bahamas. The common thread forging the connection between us was the need for greater exposure to STEM (science,

technology, engineering and mathematics) and in particular engineering for Bahamian students. We somehow found

ourselves stumbling upon pursuits of engineering after high school because the awareness and exposure to engineering

was lacking throughout our secondary education. So today we hope to be a catalyst for change in the growth and

advancement of engineering throughout the entire Bahamas.

As an organization we believe in the importance of giving back to our community. We desire to be the contributors and

nation builders to move the Bahamas progressively forward as our global society continues to transform and evolve

before our eyes. More importantly, we believe that change starts with us. It is not some abstract solution far beyond our

reach. In fact, it begins and ends with us, those of us whose heritage and hearts are deeply rooted within Bahamian soil.

While the BETA team is comprised of fairly young individuals we realize that the world we live in today is vastly different

from the world we were raised in. We live in the modern technologically advanced world where one’s online presence is

so heavily weighted. It is no wonder that companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr,

Flickr and Pinterest are thriving giants. Social Media has skyrocketed over the past decade and what’s driving these

social media engines are the technologist and engineers who create and run the platforms. This provides the driving

force as to why it’s imperative that we prepare our future i.e. our youth for an elevated global technical revolution.

Consequently, the amount of available jobs in these technical industries will rapidly increase and the need for an

equipped and competitive workforce is key.

With the conclusion of BETA Camp not only have we given back to our community but we’ve imparted into the lives of

77 young people who we hope will become the Bahamian engineers and technologist of tomorrow.

More importantly, we believe that change starts with us. It is not some abstract solution far beyond our reach. In fact,

it begins and ends with us, those of us whose heritage and hearts are deeply rooted within Bahamian soil.

If you are reading this report we hope that you will find value and promise in all that the BETA organizations seeks to

accomplish. Within this report you will find key information on results and findings from this year’s inaugural BETA

Camp, highlights from the BETA Panel Discussion with three well-noted panelists, sponsors of the BETA Camp initiative,

outcomes, recommendations and a future outlook for the BETA organization.

We hope that this will excite you as much as it has excited us. It gives me great joy to share this

with you and as we move forward we will do our best in BRINGING THE STEM REVOLUTION TO

THE BAHAMAS.

Trenicka K. Rolle Co-Founder and President of BETA [email protected]

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About BETA Bahamas Engineering and Technology Advancement (BETA) is the work of a consortium of Bahamian

engineers, scientists and technologists. These highly skilled professionals share a passion for using the science,

technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills they have learned in their successful careers to help re-

energize the Bahamas and provide opportunities for Bahamian youth.

The BETA team came together in spring 2014 with a shared goal: to expose Bahamian students to STEM fields

and instil in them the knowledge, passion and drive to pursue careers within these growing and rewarding

fields. After countless meetings, conference calls and emails, BETA was founded.

The 2014 BETA Camp was the first initiative that the BETA team has produced. Due to the success of this

camp, the group plans to move forward with more technical outreach programs and initiatives while

continuing to diversify talent within the BETA team.

Our Mission:

ʺ The BETA team’s mission is to use technical expertise to inspire and improve the Bahamas through a series of

collaborative efforts that will strengthen STEM education across the nation, create opportunities for engineers

and address vital infrastructure issues on our Bahama islands.ʺ

Our Vision:

ʺ The BETA team seeks to create a future where Bahamians are technically equipped to compete in a global

market.ʺ

2014 BETA Executive Board:

President: Trenicka Rolle

Vice-President: D’Andre Wilson-Ihejirika

Director of Communications: Travis Miller

Treasurer: LaToya Johnson

Directors:

o Albrion Symonette

o Kordero St. Cyr

o Bradley Thompson Jr.

o Najah Plakaris

o Dr. Carlton Watson

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Camp Overview The 2014 BETA Camp served to provide exposure to the principles and foundation of engineering knowledge.

Such exposure granted students the opportunity to realize the value and importance of applied mathematics

and science to the betterment of everyday life through engineering. The camp was held at the College of The

Bahamas, Oakes Field Campus in Nassau, Bahamas during the week of July 28th – August 1st. The organizers of

the camp included 8 members of the BETA team, 4 members of STEMBoard with the aid of key administrators

of the Harry C. Moore Library at COB and key persons from the COB School of Mathematics , Physics and

Technology.

The BETA Camp was organized to accommodate 60 students. However, after local on air interviews with

Bahamas at Sunrise, Guardian Talk Radio and ZNS the week before the camp, the demand drastically increased

leaving BETA Camp organizers to increase the number of students. The enrollment of the camp reached a final

number of 77 students. There were 6 engineering disciplines (streams) which included:

Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering

Biomedical Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Civil/Environmental Engineering

Computer Science/Web Development

Electrical Engineering

Of these 6 discplines students were asked to specify which engineering discipline they preferred by giving their

first and second preference. Throughout the week students were engaged in lessons and hands on activities

that would help to build their foundation and understanding of engineering. Additonally, students were placed

in teams where they focused on proposing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) solutions to

issues surrounding coral reef preservation and Junkanoo parades. Through these projects students:

learned to collaborate with their peers working in teams

used investigative and research skills to obtain potential solutions

tackled local/national issues to which they can possibly be apart of the solution

developed communication skills by presenting their work to a large audience

learned to defend their work by answering questions posed by judges from sponsor companies and

fellow peers.

The inaugural 2014 BETA Camp brought enrichment to instructors, volunteers, students and at large the

Bahamas. BETA Camp at its inception presents a promising outlook on students interested in pursuing careers

in engineering. The camp will continue and in the years to come it will be improved and expounded upon

based on this year’s current model.

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Camp Demographics Overall, the 2014 BETA Camp had 77 students (3 of which were absent for the intro survey). The following

demographics for the BETA Camp will span age, gender, grade, public/private school and hometown in The

Bahamas for the 74 students surveyed.

Gender

The target for the 2014 BETA Camp was to have as close to a 50-50 ratio of female-male students. The actual

number of students were 21 female and 53 male, giving a percentage of 28% female, 72% male.

Figure 1: Gender Demographics of the 2014 BETA Camp

Age

The original target was to have students aged 11-14. While this age group made up the bulk of the students

ages, there were also students age 10 (3%) as well as age 15 (3%). Majority of students were age 14 (42%)

Figure 2: Age Demographics of the 2014 BETA Camp

28%

72%

Camp Gender Demographics

Female Male

3%

13%

16%

23%

42%

3%

Age Demographics

10 11 12 13 14 15

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Grade and School Students were also surveyed for grade level (that they had just completed in June 2014) as well as their school. Schools were seperated in to public, private and N/A, which included students who were home-schooled or attending schools outside of the Bahamas.

Figure 3: Demographic of students from public vs. private school

Figure 4: Student Demographic by grade level

Home City Students were asked to identify their home city. This was categorized into Freeport, Nassau and “Other”,

which included students from other family islands as well as students from outside of the country.

Figure 5: Student Home City demographics

14%

74%

12%

School Demographics

Public Private N/A

4%

20%

12%

27%

33%

4%

Grade Demographics

5 6 7 8 9 10

20%

76%

4%

Home City

Freeport Nassau Other

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Stream Demographics

When looking at the specific streams, the numbers were as follows:

Table 1: Total number of students per stream and gender breakdown

Gender Aeronautical Biomedical Chemical Civil Computer Science

Electrical

Female 1 6 8 2 4 0

Male 13 5 4 9 15 7

Total 14 11 12 11 19 7

Majority of students were interested in the Computer Science stream, which had the highest number of

students (19). Electrical Engineering had the least students (7) but had the highest level of engagement

(9.1/10) [see Outcomes-Students-Assessment of Individual Streams].

Figure 6: Percentage of students within each stream

Electrical Engineering also had the lowest female to male ratio, with zero females in the stream. Chemical

engineering and Biomedical Engineering both had more females than males, with a ratio of 8-4 and 6-5,

respectively.

Figure 7: Students per stream split by gender

19%

15%

16% 15%

26%

9%

Distribution amongst streams

Aeronautical

Biomedical

Chemical

Civil

Computer Science

Electrical

1 6 8

2 4 0

13 5 4 9

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Aeronautical Biomedical Chemical Civil ComputerScience

Electrical

Steam Gender Demographics

Female Male

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Summary of Stream Activities Biomedical Engineering Stream

Instructor: Trenicka Rolle

Trenicka Rolle was born and raised in Freeport, Grand Bahama. In addition to being published in various academic

journals, Trenicka has held leadership positions in the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and received several

awards including the 2013 Bahamas National Academic Scholarship. Trenicka completed her undergraduate degree in

Biomedical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011; and recently received her master’s degree in

Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering.

Volunteers: David Sands and Charles Hamilton

David Sands is a retired pediatrician who completed his studies at McGill University.

Charles Hamilton is a recent graduate of biomedical sciences at the University of Guelph.

Summary

The biomedical engineering served to give students a basic foundation in the principles that encompass biomedical

engineering. Specifically students gained knowledge in general engineering principles including forces, moments, stress

and strain. Students were given an understanding of the physiology and anatomy of the human body from an

engineering perspective, that is, in terms of biomechanics.

Examples of how to solve engineering free body diagrams were discussed as well as the engineering stress/strain graph.

Students also worked on solving problems in biomechanics where the force exerted on a muscle by lifting weights were

also calculated.

Lastly, students acquired knowledge on biomedical applications in medicine and healthcare. Applications such as

artificial arms and legs, artificial heart valves, ultrasound machines, MRI’s, pacemakers are all biomedical inventions that

were discussed.

Aside from giving students a theoretical background, they were tasked with creating a helmet for an egg that would

prevent it from being cracked after falling from a height of 5 feet. Students used straws, duct tape, cotton, paper clips,

pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks to create the helmets. Another activity students were given was to create a prosthetic

hand that would be powered hydro-dynamically. This activity encompassed the use of straws, popsicle sticks, rubber

bands pipe cleaners, syringe and clear tubing.

Throughout these activities students were tasked to work in teams. These activities helped to build teamwork skills,

effective communication, understanding the engineering design process and the ability to think creatively. With all that

was taught, students were given a collegiate freshmen level crash course in statics, dynamics, biomechanics and

anatomy. The goal was to equip students with enough information to obtain a solid background in biomedical

engineering to aid in their decision of pursuing careers in the field.

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Image 1: Biomedical stream designs prosthetic arms

Image 2: Biomedical students learn about hydro-dynamics

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Chemical Engineering Stream

Instructor: D’André Wilson-Ihejirika

D’André Wilson-Ihejirika received her bachelors in chemical engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Canada and

her master’s from the Centre for Management of Technology and Entrepreneurship at the University of Toronto.

D’André currently works as a Project Development Engineer in the Canadian Oil Sands where she also coordinates

engineering outreach program through her small business BrainSTEM Alliance.

Volunteers: Jamia Moss and Leslia Bowe

Leslia Bowe is a biochemistry student at the College of the Bahamas and entering her final year of study.

Jamia Moss is a biochemistry and Hispanic studies major at College of St. Benedict in Minnesota, US.

Summary

The chemical engineering stream was focused on giving the students an introduction to chemistry as well as looking at

how chemical engineers “scale-up” lab experiments to industrial processes.

Students were asked to balance chemical equations and identify different types of chemical reactions. Students learn to

look at different material properties of reactants vs. products and how those material properties might be used for a

commercial purpose.

Students began by creating a simple polymer from water, glue and Borax. Students were given the chemical formulas for

each reactant and ask to come up with a potential formula for the product. The idea of a linked polymer chain was

introduced. Students also had to analyze the properties of the product vs. the reactant and students had to come up

with a commercial product based on the material properties of the polymer produced.

Students were also introduced to saponification or soap-making. Students were able to make their own soap in the lab,

identify the chemical formula of reactants and products and not the method for soap-making. Students learned about

the concept of an exothermic reaction vs. an endothermic reaction. All of this had to be taken into consideration when

students then had to design their own soap-making industrial plant. Students were introduced to chemical engineering

‘process flow diagrams’ and had to identify which industrial equipment would be necessary in their plant drawings.

Other activities included creating plastic in the lab, which is an endothermic reaction, as well as looking at acid-base

reactions in the production of honeycomb candy, which uses the acid in honey combined with the basic properties of

baking soda to produce CO2 and create bubbles within the candy.

Overall students were given a basic overview to multiple chemical theories and techniques and were also introduced to

chemical engineering in terms of scale-up through process flow diagrams and the commercial uses for chemical

products.

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Image 3: Chemical engineering stream receiving a lecture from D’André Wilson-Ihejirika in the COB chem lab

Image 4: Students drawing Process Flow Diagrams

Image 5: Chemical engineering students in the lab making polymers

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Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering Stream

Instructors: STEMBoard

During the 2014 BETA Camp, Beta partnered with STEMBoard, a US-based job placement and outreach company that

specifically aims to increase minority representation in the STEM workforce. Four representatives from STEMBoard

travelled from the US to instruct the Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering stream; Aisha Bowe - an aerospace engineer at

NASA, Erika Cherry – a mechanical and project engineer at Sumitomo Drive Technologies, John Martellaro – a

technology development specialist and serial entrepreneur, and Gamaliel “Dan” Cherry – an aerospace education

specialist at NASA’s Langley Research Center.

Summary

The STEMBoard team completely designed and implemented the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering stream.

Students were first introduced to the basic concepts of Mechanical Engineering through a series of activities aimed to

give a broad level view of the topic.

Students were then given a more detailed look at the applications of mechanical engineering to aerospace design.

Students looked at multiple aircraft and spacecraft, as well as career options and applications for aerospace learning.

Finally students learning culminated in the design of an aerodynamically engineered rocket that was launched outside

on the College of the Bahamas’ campus. Students applied all aspects of mechanical and aerospace techniques into the

design.

Overall, students were fully engaged in the learning and enjoyed first hand interaction with the aerospace professionals,

learning more about careers with NASA and other aerospace related companies.

Image 6: Aerospace & Mechanical engineering stream setting up display for the technical exhibition

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Civil & Environmental Engineering Stream

Instructors: Albrion Symonette and Kordero St. Cyr

Albrion Symonette is a construction project engineer working in Nassau, Bahamas. He is an alumnus of the esteemed

Morehouse College, where he was an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers. He graduated with a

bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He currently owns a

decorative pavement company called Deco Pave Bahamas, as well as a graphic design firm.

Kordero St. Cyr is a Project Officer at the Ministry of Works and holds a BSc. in civil engineering from The University of

Arkansas. Kordero has served in several capacities of mentorship, most notably serving as Director of Adventures of

Sciences and Mathematics 2011, a community educational initiative spearheaded by Colina General. In addition to his

other accomplishments, he developed a sustainability driven, science curriculum for middle school students. Kordero is

also the founder and mentor for NSBE Bahamas at the College of The Bahamas.

Volunteers: Theophilus Moss and Kerri Bascom

Theo Moss is a Mechanical Engineering student at Johns Hopkins University who is an active member and leader of

multiple student groups on campus.

Kerri Bascom is a Civil Engineering student at Queens University and a recent intern with Caribbean Civil Group.

Summary

This stream introduced students to multiple aspects of both Civil and Environmental engineering.

Primarily students were introduced to the fundamentals of building stable structures. Multiple activities were used to

address this. First, students were able to learn about foundations and how they affect stability. A simulation of different

foundations was done using rock, soil and sand in a cardboard box. Each foundation was tested with wooden dowels

and books as weights. Students then had to calculate the force on the foundation at failure and determine which

foundation was optimal.

Students were also introduced to stable shapes through the construction of a geodesic dome. Using multiple sheets of

newspaper and tape, a stable structure was designed that incorporated triangles within a circular dome. Students

learned that circles and triangles are the strongest shapes and that civil engineers try to incorporate these shapes into

their designs as efficiently as possible.

These concepts were then applied to the design of a popsicle stick bridge. Students were asked to form teams and

design a stable bridge that spanned a specific width and covered a certain height. The bridges should incorporate the

learnings from stables structures and foundations and were tested to see which would hold the most load before failure.

Students also learned about the urban planning aspect of civil design. Using traffic cones and rope a road traffic exercise

was simulated. Multiple scenarios were shown to measure the different possibilities for traffic congestion. Student then

had to problem-solve and come up with the optimal LOS (level of service) for the traffic scenario.

Finally, environmental engineering was introduced. To teach about sanitary water solutions, students were given

samples of dirty water. Different filter types were introduced, including bio-filters, mechanical filters and chemical

filters. Students had to test each filter and come up with an optimal filtration process combining the filters to get the

best and cleanest water.

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Image 7: Albrion Symonette discussing urban planning with civil engineering stream

Image 8: Civil engineering stream designed stable structures like the geodesic dome

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Computer Science & Web Development Stream

Instructors: Travis Miller and Bradley Thompson

Travis Miller is a web developer at SPARK, a branding and advertising agency. Travis was born and raised in Nassau,

Bahamas and completed his degree in management information systems at the University of Tampa John H. Sykes

College of Business. Travis has been involved in numerous web development projects, competed in start-up

competitions and spoken at many events and panels on web development. In addition to his multiple accomplishments,

Travis also has shown a dedication to education, mentoring young web developers in his spare time.

Bradley Thompson was born and raised in Freeport, Grand Bahama. An alumnus of McGill University in computer

engineering, Bradley has developed websites for multiple organizations and businesses. Previously a web programmer

for Frontstart, Bradley is now a systems support specialist at Freeport Container Port, specializing in Information

Technology and Project Management. Bradley has experience using JavaScript, AJAX, HTML, CSS, PHP and MySQL;

several programming languages including C and Java; wired and wireless network design as well as microprocessor

design.

Summary

The Computer Science and Web Development stream was a series of interactive, close knit lessons teaching web design and development to BETA camp students. Lessons were designed for collaboration with the students who want to learn how to design and build for the web by leveraging the latest tools and techniques to do so. The instructors enjoyed working with the kids to teach them concepts on web design and providing them with a different perspective on how the web works. Each day began by walking over to the computer labs located in the A-block of COB campus. During the walk the instructors would go over a brief history about the programming languages of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. When class started, all the students jumped to their workstations and they were ready to start programming. They dove into design and development fundamentals that allow them to start building simple web interfaces. The students excelled in all challenges given to them throughout the course. They were proactively exploring other's code examples and learning from what was built so that they can attempt to build it themselves. The kids never saw the same project twice and this helped keep them engaged. The interactive nature of the lessons allowed the students to see things happening in real time with immediate results. This kept them interested into what was going on throughout the entire lesson. Code drills throughout the class allowed the children to catch on to every lesson very quickly. Ultimately the students saw how web design plays a bigger role in the world around them. They all were inquisitive about how the web works and how well known websites and applications like Facebook, Google and YouTube worked. By the end of the course, students began to see the technologies they interact with every day in a new light. They now know and are able to access code all around them and this knowledge will help them for years to come. They all felt enthusiastic about building on the knowledge they acquired during the camp and they all look forward to coming back next year to continue the journey.

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Image 9: Bradley Thompson lecturing on computer science concepts

Image 10: Students applying some web development techniques

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Electrical Engineering Stream

Instructors: LaToya Johnson

LaToya R. Johnson is an independent Engineering and Business Consultant with 15+ years of experience in the field of

engineering. She holds a Master’s of Science in Engineering (MSE) and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

After working for seven years as a Network Engineering Specialist with Verizon Communications in the USA, she

returned to the Bahamas to continue her engineering and business services as an independent consultant. She also

managed several service businesses during that time. LaToya serves on the Board of the Bahamas Society of Engineers

where she is the current Treasurer. She is also the current Treasurer of the BETA.

Volunteers: Charles Andrew Williams and Calvin Pratt

Andrew Williams is a senior student at Doris Johnson High School with a keen interest in electrical engineering, having

worked as a Jr. Electrician in a family business for a number of summers.

Calvin Pratt is an undergraduate student at Acadia University who has been involved in multiple science and technology

outreach programs, including the technical cadet core.

Summary

The Electrical Engineering Stream introduced students to the basic principles of electrical circuits and the fundamentals

of engineering design. Students were introduced to key concepts and terminology in electrical engineering that will help

them develop a basic knowledge and understanding of the engineering program as they further their interest in the

field. This stream assisted students with additional knowledge in general engineering principles. Students were able to

analyze the simple electrical circuit and the components from which it is made. They were also given an overview of

how electrical engineering principles are applied daily in the environment in which they live. They were also told about

what electrical engineers do, where they work, and what makes being an electrical engineer a rewarding career.

During class sessions, students were taught about the basic components that make up an electric circuit and were

shown pictures that would assist them with identifying each component. Students were also shown how an electric

circuit is created and how charge flows through circuits. They were introduced to basic electrical equations and shown

how to calculate these equations using data given. At the end of the day, students were given short assignments to take

home and complete as a review to the information given during class.

Finally, students were able to participate in several hands-on activities that consisted of individual and group work to

facilitate team building. These activities included:

The Conductivity of Materials – Students tested the conductivity of several different items (lemons, oranges and

potatoes).

The Potato Clock – Students used the conductive element in potatoes to power a digital clock.

The Operation Game - Students were given electrical circuit components and instructed on how to build an

electric circuit which was then used to operate a game similar to the “Operations Game”.

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Image 11: Electrical engineering stream demonstrating circuits with their Operation Game

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Technical Demonstration At the culmination of the camp on the final day, students were asked to display what they had learned in a booth that

summarized their stream. Each stream had a display booth and the sponsors of the camp and judges of the design

project were able to view the exhibition in the foyer of the COB Harry C. Moore Library.

Image 12: Chemical Engineering stream presenting Process Flow Diagrams to RBC representative, Larry Wilson

Image 13: Electrical Engineering explaining circuits to Sun Oil representative, Andre Moss

Image 14: Civil engineering stream volunteers discuss with Caribbean Civil Group representative, Francis Clarke

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Design Project At the 2014 BETA Camp, students were assigned into inter-disciplinary design project teams. These teams consisted of

individuals from several of the technical streams in the camp and students were tasked to come up with technical

solutions by applying what they had learned in their streams to two (2) potential problem areas:

Option 1 – Revolutionizing the Junkanoo Experience with STEM

Junkanoo is a prominent and integral part of Bahamian Culture. Our main Parades on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day

take months of planning and preparation which requires the input by a large numbers of volunteers. As much as we all

love to participate in our Junkanoo celebrations, there are many tedious and time consuming aspects of the parade, for

example:

Weight and size of costumes make them difficult to transport and have caused safety concerns for those inside,

with some incidents where emergency personnel were required

The time it takes for teams to line up, get into place and to complete their laps exceeds allotted times

The method for judging includes judges on the street filling paper forms and placing them in a box to be

collected. This takes time and leaves room for error. Judges also must stay for all 3 laps of the parade which

leads to many judges leaving before the end

Safety concern with potential stabbing and shootings

Ticket purchase and collection and assignment of seat for those viewing.

With the potential introduction of a larger summer Junkanoo ‘carnival’, how can we use engineering and technology to

address these issues?

Option 2 – Revitalizing our Coral Reefs with STEM

The Bahamas has one of the largest coral reef systems in the world. It is a part of the foundation for our islands and sea

banks and gives our water is clarity and beauty. However the reefs are fragile and in recent years there have been

concerns with the deterioration of the reefs from multiple causes:

Construction of resorts and other buildings and sea structures

Potential of drilling for sub-sea petroleum deposits

Tourists snorkeling and scuba diving

Fishermen’s boats and equipment

Use of calcium carbonate deposits as a resource

While all of these activities are important to the Bahamian economy, how can we continue these activities in a

responsible way and preserve our reef system?

--

In total there were 13 design project teams, with 5 teams choosing to focus on Junkanoo solutions and 8 focusing on

Coral Reefs. Students were given 1 hour each day of the camp to work in their teams and research and discuss their

topics, come up with potential solutions and design a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation to present to our sponsor

judges.

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Judges for the design project included the following:

Table 2: List of judges and associated company or organization

Name Company

Nickola Dawkins Phoenix Engineering Group Andre Moss Sun Oil Limited Casuarina McKinney-Lambert Bahamas Reef Environmental Education Foundation (BREEF)** Myra McPhee US Embassy Albrion Symonette Island Site Development Kenya A. Longley Caribbean Civil Group** Francis Clarke Caribbean Civil Group

** Casuarina is affiliated with Coral Reefs and only judged on the first half of presentations. Kenya completed the

judging for non-Coral Reef related projects.

Students were given scores of 50 from each of the 6 judges in the following areas:

Table 3: Design Project judging criteria

Criteria Point allocation

Technical Content 15 Problem Solving 10 Innovation 5 Oral Presentation 10 Visual Display 10 TOTAL 50

Judges scores were tallied and a final score was given out of 300 (50 x 6 judges). The successful teams were:

Table 4: Design Project winning teams with presentation topic and total judge score

Team Number Team Members Topic Chosen Total Score Team Rank

Team 4 Christin Cash Drexwill Ferguson Jade Knowles Enrique Pyfrom Tarranique Rahming

Junkanoo 242 1

Team 7 Daniel Bullard Monique Chandler G’Angelo Edgecombe Reagan Farrington Ian Finley Justyn Sweeting

Coral Reefs 225 2

Team 8 Jesse Delancy Creven Ferguson Rashad Gooding Liam Mason Deandrea Miller Keyano Riley

Coral Reefs 217 3

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Team 4 focused on the following areas of Junkanoo:

Table 5: Summary of team 4 design project

Problem Issue Caused Solution

Route traffic and congestion

The route is Frederick St onto Bay St, then onto Elizabeth Ave, onto Shirley St and back to Frederick St. This causes congestion where Shirley St and Elizabeth Ave meet because that is where the entrance of the Accident & Emergency Dep. of PMH is located.

• They proposed to replace Elizabeth Ave with East St so that there would be less congestion and more ways of diverting traffic around the parade.

• They proposed that this work would be done by a civil engineer

Insufficient Parking There insufficient parking spaces Downtown. Because of this people would park their cars in workplace parking lots, on the side of streets and in unsafe areas that can result your car being towed away, broken into or stolen.

• They proposed the idea of a multi-story parking garage on the already existing parking lot next to the British Colonial Hilton. Estimated cost $18-$36M

• They proposed that this work would be done by a civil engineer.

Low Visibility There is a lack of lighting in the

Downtown area and the festival takes place at night. This is a problem because it encourages crime because you can’t see much in the dark.

• They proposed that solar powered panel street lights be placed on Bay St. This would lessen the chance of crime because there will now be more visibility. It is a green and efficient way to solve this problem.

• They proposed that this work would be done by an electrical engineer

Weapons Every year there is either a

brawl, stabbing, attempted rape or a shooting.

They proposed that entrances to the Junkanoo area be closed off and to only have a few assigned locations to enter where there will be a security checkpoint at each entrance.

They proposed using Garrett Pro Pointer Metal Detectors to search for weapons. This has the following features: Pinpoint tip detection, 360 side screen detection area, LED light for low light areas, automatic tuning

They proposed that these were designed by Electrical Engineers

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Image 15: Team 4 receiving awards for 1st place in the design project

Team 7 focused on the following issues facing Coral Reefs


Cause Effect Solution

Fishermen use bleach to draw out fish(crawfish)

Kills corals with dangerous chemicals and poisons water

It was proposed that instead of using bleach use Fish Oil to attract the crawfish. This is environmentally friendly and does not harm the coral reefs

Large ships steering into reefs due to lack of information

Unknowingly destroying fragile corals witch unconstructively affects the wave currents coming toward the islands

It was proposed to use specialized buoys such as the Intellicheck Mobilisa’s Aegeus used by the US Navy that have multiple environmental sensors and can detect small boats

Too many corals are being severely damaged

Negatively impacting the economy (tourism, fishing industry etc…)

It was proposed to use different metallic objects to act as place to house coral polyps. The frames can be electrified to promote accelerated growth of the polyps similar to work done of the coast of Indonesia

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Team 8 focused on the following issues facing Coral Reefs


Problem Issue caused Solution

Drilling and Dredging This is a major problem for our coral reefs because when various oil companies drill for oil , they do not consider the fact that a marine habitat , the coral reef , is more than likely underneath there oil ships being destroyed.

A trained civil engineer can build a water barrier from scrap metals from old boats or cars that alerts drillers/dredgers that they are approaching a coral reef zone. Also a computer science engineer, aeronautical engineer and electrical engineer can team up and build an underwater sensor also using scrap metals and used electrical wires that send signals to a satellite in space. The satellite can tap into the ships navigation system or computer and alert them of the approaching coral reef zones.

Fishing Some fishermen use harpoons and spears to fish especially when capturing animals like whales. If the harpoon accidentally misses the fish and strikes the coral reef, the coral will suffer serious damage and probably die.

Coral reef calcification is caused by the rising acidity of the water. The pH optimum for the coral reef is eight. The waters have been recorded to reach about seven in pH which is not at all ideal living conditions for a coral reef. A chemical engineer can feed a solution of soda ash (contains sodium carbonate) through a chemical pump and place this solution into the water. Sodium carbonate can raise the pH to eight or higher.

Coral calcification The oceans pH level is not always optimum for the coral reef to remain healthy. Therefore the coral reef begin to lose the hardness of their shells and begin to soften and become fragile because of calcification

A computer science engineer can create water sensor from used car or machinery parts to detect water motions which can cause a protective barrier to activate whenever a force of some kind is detected like a spear or harpoon.

Underwater tourism Although I have nothing against the tourist who visit our Bahamian shores, I must say this, Some tourist come to the Bahamas and go into our waters and break pieces of our coral reefs, some for money and some for collection. This is a problem because our reefs our being damaged and are dying and our marine life will begin to diminish and decline.

A chemical engineer can run test on the cells of other organisms who regenerate limbs by testing a specific cell known as macrophages to see what is the exact cause of cell regeneration and the chemicals that help cause such a reaction. If successful a serum could be created and injected into the coral so that every time a tourist or individual tries to break off a piece of a coral, it will grow its appendage back.

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Ultimately, all participants were given a better understanding of how to apply technical solutions to real-world problems

affecting our Bahama-land. Students were also able to develop their time-management and presentation skills during

their sessions with the judges.

Image 16: Group 2 presenting on Junkanoo while sporting Junkanoo costumes

Image 17: Presenting on the problems facing coral reefs

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Public Panel Importance of STEM Education

The BETA open panel discussion held on July 31st, the first of many to come, was found to engage and enlighten not

only its audience but the panelists themselves. Panelists included Minister of Education, Science and Technology, the

Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald, Ms. Myra McPhee, education and cultural specialist at the Embassy of the United States, Nassau

Bahamas and Ms. Sossena Wood, National Chair for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).

Minister Fitzgerald has served in his role as Minister of Education for over 2 years and before his appointment he served

as Senator from 2007-2012. In 1989 he obtained his Masters in Law degree from King’s College, University of London

and in 1992 a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Shipping, Trade and Finance from City University Business School,

London.

Ms. Myra McPhee has been working for the U.S. State Department at the U.S. Embassy Nassau as an Education and

Cultural Specialist since July 2013. She has worked at several American Institutions of Higher Education including most

recently Michigan State University where she was responsible for strategic planning and leadership development. Ms.

McPhee earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Master of Education in Higher

Education and Student Affairs, both from The University of South Carolina.

Ms. Sossena Wood has served in her role as National Chair of the National Society of Black Engineers since May of 2013.

She is a doctoral candidate in bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, where she also earned her Bachelor of

Science degree in electrical engineering. A K. Leroy Irvis Fellow, GEM Fellow and Pitt Rising African American Leaders

honoree, Wood is working to develop one of the first anatomically detailed human head phantoms and electromagnetic

simulations to improve ultrahigh-field MRI.

The goal of the panel was to have an open dialogue between the public, members of the BETA organization and other

important figures in STEM and education that would serve to highlight the importance and value of STEM education to

the Bahamas. The panel was moderated by BETA team members, Trenicka Rolle (President) and Travis Miller (Director

of Communications).

The panel sought to address questions such as why STEM education is so important as we move into the future, what

current STEM initiatives exist in the Bahamas and how countries like the U.S are paving the way forward with extensive

STEM programs. Throughout the panel each speaker addressed these concerns in depth and in particular Minister

Fitzgerald stressed that he wholeheartedly believes in STEM education and the opportunities that it presents to better

the Bahamas. He spoke on how current initiatives such as the Pre-engineering magnet program at Anatol Rodgers High

School is expected to prepare students for careers in engineering and will provide them the background and insight into

these fields. He also spoke on how competitions such as the Battle of the Brains in Grand Bahama as well as the 17th

Annual SECME (Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering) Mousetrap and Bottle Rocket Competition held

in Grand Bahama seek to foster excitement and learning in science. Not to mention that there is a dire need to address

the problems with 50% of students in government high schools not matriculating through the system to only finish with

a receipt of a leaving certificate. As a result, Minister Fitzgerald mentioned current plans to help alleviate this problem

by allowing for a standardized diploma. He believes that the ministry of education, as we move forward, will continue to

work at improving the overall educational standard in the Bahamas and will seek to introduce programs and initiatives

to better prepare our students for technical careers abroad and even here within our very own country.

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Image 18: Minister Fitzgerald speaking openly about STEM education and current initiatives chartered by the Ministry of Education. To the left of him, Ms. Sossena Wood and to the right of him is Travis Miller, executive board member of BETA.

Ms. McPhee pointed out that it is imperative that we as a nation in the Bahamas prepare and educate our students for

at early ages for a future in science, technology engineering or mathematics. She was also schooled here in The Bahamas

at Temple Christian Academy but found that opportunities to advance a career in STEM in the Bahamas did not exist

then are still minimal today. With her experience in working at several universities throughout the United States she

mentioned how universities begin making preparations for the freshmen four years before their freshmen arrive.

Specifically, students who are currently in the ninth grade, universities have now begun strategic planning for these

students. This provides an even further incentive to create impactful and lasting STEM initiatives that can prepare

Bahamian students to contribute to the growing technical world we live in. She stressed that the US Embassy is fully

supportive of initiatives such as BETA that will help developing countries produce talent within their borders to catalyze

further the development of these nations and make more of global footprint.

Image 19: Ms. Myra McPhee addressing one of the questions at the BETA Open Panel Discussion. Beside her are Ms. Sossena Wood and Minister Fitzgerald

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Ms. Wood spoke on how the NSBE’s Summer Engineering Experience for Kids camp brought together mentors from

partner companies and students from all walks of life for 3 weeks of hands on learning in STEM. SEEK targets students in

grades 3-5 and seeks to develop the pipeline of minorities entering into STEM by providing exposure to STEM through

hands-on projects, the roles and responsibility of engineers, collegiate STEM mentors and images of African Americans

in STEM. She paralleled how programs such as BETA and SEEK both will help to inspire the next generation of engineers.

She stressed that the problem of students not being engaged in STEM and in particular engineering at an early age are

not exclusive to the Bahamas but is indeed evident in the US and in countries in Africa such as Ghana. It is a known fact

that industry and government initiatives to recruit and retain a high-quality workforce with the appropriate academic

qualifications and skill sets are hindered by the low numbers of students, especially underrepresented students, who

pursue and obtain degrees in STEM. In the US only 18% of African American students in the fourth grade are proficient

in math, and as we move forward to high school only 4% of African Americans are proficient in calculus.- a poignant and

appalling statistic. Therefore, it is imperative that we keep programs such as the aforementioned going in order to

provide intervention and resolve to these issues.

The inaugural BETA open panel discussion not only brought enrichment through insightful conversations in STEM but

demonstrated that there is a dire need for public engagement at all levels to improve the state of STEM within the

Bahamas. The BETA team seeks to improve and strengthen these panel discussions in hopes of providing a public forum

for ideas and solutions that will provide advancement in STEM for our students at all levels, the working class of STEM

professionals and those seeking to pursue these careers in the near future.

Image 20: Members of BETA, STEMBoard and the three panelists at the BETA Open Panel Discussion

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Final Expense Breakdown Table 8: Overview of final expenses

TOTAL EXPENSES Actual

$27,561.40

Accommodations Actual

Food and Food Supplies Actual

Hotela $10,460.00

Daily Lunch (80) $2,000.00

Transportation + Gas a $1,724.28

Catering - Panels (Anthony

Allen) $500.00

Flights (FPO - NAS) [9]a $1,805.00

Pizza (Friday) $400.00

Flights (WAS - NAS) [5]a $2,105.00

Total $2,900.00

Total $16,094.28

Decorations Actual

Program Specific Actual

Banners $285.00

Engineering Kits $2,487.62

Logo Design $150.00

T-Shirts $1,414.88

Booklet Design $175.00

Other Banner/Flyer Design $150.00

Total $3,902.50

Total $760.00

Awards & Prizes Actual

Publicityb Actual

Amazon Kindle Fire HD

Tabletsa $0.00

PR/Media for Camp $550.00

Certificates/Plaques/Trophie

s $946.95

Arthia Nixon $1,000.00

Gifts $200.00

Photocopying/Printingb $0.00

Taxes & Fees $0.00

Bahamas at Sunrise $300.00

Total $1,146.95

Total $1,850.00

General Supplies Actual

Office Supplies (Pens, Pencils,

Labels, Scissors, Glue, Paper,

Sharpeners, Markers)

$219.38

Learning supplies for students

(Notebooks, Flipcharts, Poster

boards)

$642.71

Lunch Supplies (Cups, Knives, Plates,

Forks) $45.58

Total $907.67

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Figure 8: Percentage breakdown of total expenses by category

a. After expenditure for the BETA Camp 2014, various line items exceeded the original estimations for costs.

As a result when the budget was revised for a final time prior to the camp it was decided amongst camp

organizers to forgo on awarding prizes to the students in terms of the tablets and reallocate those funds to the

areas which were found to cost more than originally planned.

b. For the publicity tab, the original budget had estimated a cost of $2550.00 which was then reduced $1850

as a result of obtaining in-kind sponsorship for printing/copying as well as hiring publicist to cover all radio

interview bookings and newspaper press releases.

Accomodations/Travel 58%

Decorations 3%

Publicity 7%

Supplies 3%

Food and Food Supplies 11%

Program Specific (Kits, T-Shirts)

14%

Awards 4%

Comparison of Expense Categories

Accomodations/Travel Decorations Publicity

Supplies Food and Food Supplies Program Specific (Kits, T-Shirts)

Awards

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Sponsors and Partners The 2014 BETA Camp could not have been a success without our many sponsors and partners. Sponsors all gave financial

contributions to our initiative and we are very grateful. Our partners are those that worked closely with BETA to

provided in-kind sponsorship and services to ensure the success of the camp.

Our Key partners included:

STEMBoard

The College of the Bahamas

The National Society of Black Engineers

The Fonzworth Bentley Leadership Institute

Our sponsors included:

Table 9: List of sponsors and sponsorship level

Sponsor Sponsorship Level Amount

Rocket Fuel 'Gives Back' Platinum $10,000 Millennium Engineering and Integration Co.

Gold $5,000

United States of America Embassy

Gold $5,000

RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Ltd. Silver $2,500 Sun Oil Limited Silver $2,500 Phoenix Engineering Group Ltd. Silver $2,500 Caribbean Civil Group Ltd Bronze $1,000 Automotive Industrial Distributors Ltd.

Bronze $1,000

Kappa Alpha Psi (Nassau) Bronze $1,000 BNY Mellon Bank Contributor $500 Bahamas Society of Engineers Contributor $500 Island Site Development Ltd. Contributor $500 The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited

Contributor $500

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Title/Platinum Sponsor ($10,000)

Rocket Fuel “Gives Back”

Rocket Fuel “Gives Back” was the key sponsor of the camp and received press associated with the title sponsorship role.

Rocket Fuel “Gives Back” is the foundation and charity arm of Rocket Fuel, a digital advertising company specializing in

artificial intelligence services. The lead of the foundation, Kiwoba Allaire, flew down to represent the company at the

2014 BETA Camp and was a speaker at the opening ceremony.

Image 21: Rocket Fuel "Gives Back" leader Kiwoba Allaire with Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald at the 2014 BETA Camp

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8oA0uQvTYfo/U-Pm639XV_I/AAAAAAAALng/_bAbgTl0dXA/s1600/Rocket+Fuel+'Gives+Back'+founder+and+Bahamas+Minister+of+Education,+Science+and+Technology.jpg

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Gold Sponsors ($5,000)

Millennium Engineering and Integration Co.

Millennium is a high-end engineering contractor specializing in the aerospace industry. The company has been a long-

time supporter of community outreach and has funded several initiatives in the areas of education and health.

Embassy of the United States

The Embassy of the United States in the Bahamas has been mandated by President Obama to focus on the STEM fields.

Being a Gold supporter of the 2014 BETA Camp aligns with this mission. Ms. Neda Brown represented the Embassy and

was a speaker at the camp, as well as Ms. Myra McPhee who was a judge in the final design project as well as a panelist

for our evening panel discussion.

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Silver Sponsors ($2,500)

RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Ltd.

RBC Royal Bank is an international institution and the Bahamas affiliate has been a long-time supporter of Bahamian

youth and culture. RBC was represented by Mr. Larry Wilson at the 2014 BETA Camp closing ceremony, who received a

plaque on behalf of the company.

Sun Oil Limited

Sun Oil Limited is a subsidiary of FOCOL (Freeport Oil Company Limited) and is an oil company based out of the

Bahamas, with offices in Freeport and in Nassau. Sun Oil has supported youth and sports in the Bahamas for many years.

Sun Oil was represented by Rufus Johnson, who received a plaque on behalf of the company as well as Andre Moss, who

was a judge in the design project competition.

Phoenix Engineering Group Ltd.

Phoenix Engineering Group is a multi-discipline environmental, design, engineering, and construction firm, providing

professional services in the chemical, manufacturing, utilities, telecommunications, and hotel industries. With

employees based in Freeport, and Nassau, Phoenix is a strong advocate for youth development in the engineering.

Phoenix Engineering was represented by Nickola Dawkins, who received a plaque on behalf of the company and was

also a judge in the final design project.

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Bronze Sponsors ($1000)

Caribbean Civil Group Ltd

Caribbean Civil Group is a civil engineering consulting company firm based in Nassau, Bahamas. The company was

founded in 2001 and is an employer of both professionals and students in the engineering discipline. CCG was

represented by Mr. Francis Clarke and Ms. Kenya Longley at the closing ceremony, who both acted as judges for the final

design project.

Automotive Industrial Distributors Ltd.

The vision of AID is to become the leading provider of automotive, household, hardware, and industrial products and

services in The Bahamas. With strong ties to the automotive industry, which is heavily influenced by STEM, AID is a

supporter of the BETA mission.

Kappa Alpha Psi (Nassau)

Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity was founded in 1911 and is committed to giving back to the community through the Kappa

Alpha Psi Foundation. The Bahamas Alumni Chapter is comprised of individuals from the fraternity that are currently

living in the Bahamas.

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Contributors/Student Sponsors ($500) As a part of the camp we opened registration up to students from Freeport, Grand Bahama. These students were

chaperoned by volunteer Rochelle Lockhart, as well as BETA team members Trenicka Rolle and Bradley Thompson. In

order to subsidize their travel and lodging we asked companies to give donations to sponsor students from Freeport.

Island Site Development

ISD is a civil engineering and roadwork development company dedicated to civil works and community development. ISD

was represented by Albrion Symonette who served as a judge for the final design competition and received a plaque on

behalf of the company.

Bahamas Society of Engineers

BSE is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote engineering awareness in the many engineering disciplines in the

Bahamas. BSE was represented by LaToya Johnson who received a certificate at the closing ceremonies on behalf of the

society.

Grand Bahama Port Authority

The GBPA is responsible for overseeing the residential and business development of Freeport, and providing duty free

incentives for overseas business. The GBPA employs many STEM professionals and recognizes the value of promoting

STEM to our youth, particularly those in Freeport. GBPA gave $500 to sponsor a student from Freeport to attend the

2014 BETA Camp.

BNY Mellon Bank

BNY Mellon Bank is the oldest, continuously operating financial institution in the U.S. They have a strong commitment

to social responsibility and invest in community initiatives around the world.

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Partners

STEMBoard

STEMBoard is a job-placement community that connects students and early-career professionals with mentors and

recruiters hailing from top companies, universities and government agencies. STEMBoard is a strong advocate for

promoting STEM to minorities and has ties to the Bahamas through CEO Aisha Bowe, who is of Bahamian heritage.

As a key partner, STEMBoard supported the 2014 BETA Camp through multiple avenues:

Soliciting of sponsorship funding in the US on behalf of BETA

Coordination of key speaker, Derek “Fonzworth Bentley” Watkins

Donation of time and resources from key STEMBoard employees in the coordination of the Aerospace stream

Coordination of public relations for the 2014 BETA Camp

Financial support of the camp

The College of the Bahamas

The College of the Bahamas is a publicly funded institution of higher education operating three main campuses across

the Bahamas. COB has been serving the Bahamas for over 35 years and is currently transitioning to University status.

COB has a strong commitment to the educational development of youth in the Bahamas. Dr. Carlton Watson, former

chair of the school of Mathematics, Physics and Technology and current Dean of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science,

was a key team member in the 2014 BETA Camp and facilitated the use of classrooms, computer labs, chemistry labs as

well as auditorium space in the Harry C. Moore Library on the COB campus.

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The National Society of Black Engineers

NSBE’s mission is "to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed

professionally and positively impact the community." NSBE is a student-led organization that was founded in 1971 and

has since spread to have hundreds of chapters across the US and the globe. NSBE was represented at the 2014 BETA

Camp by 2013-2015 NSBE Chairperson, Sossena Wood, who was the keynote speaker at our closing ceremony as well as

a panelist in our public panel. NSBE also contributed in-kind donations of t-shirts and stationary supplies to the 2014

BETA Camp.

Fonzworth Bentley Leadership Institute

The Fonzworth Bentley Leadership Institute was founded by Derek “Fonzworth Bentley” Watkins, former assistant to

multi-millionaire celebrity P. Diddy. Derek Watkins was the opening speaker at the 2014 BETA Camp and provided a

discount on his speaking services. He also gave a reduced price on his book “Advance Your Swagger” allowing all

students at the camp to receive a free signed copy of the book. Derek and other members of the institute also hosted an

“etiquette lunch” at the camp, teaching students about proper dining etiquette for professional lunches.

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In-Kind Contributors

Nine-to-Five Imports

Nine-to-Five is a Bahamian owned import-export company, with offices both in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Nassau,

Bahamas. 9-5 assisted the 2014 BETA Camp with in-kind sponsorship of their import services, allowing for engineering

lesson materials that could not be purchased on –island to be delivered for the camp.

Anthony Allen Catering

Anthony Allen’s Catering provided the lunch for the entire camp as well as the hors d’ouevres for the public panel. The

company also offered discounts on food services and delivery.

Amar Kai Designs

Amar Kai Designs, owned by Kaivanya Sweeting, designed the logos for the BETA Camp and the BETA organization, as

well as the banners and publications for the camp, offering a discounted price on her services.

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Public Relations & Media The 2014 BETA Camp had multiple press releases, on-air radio segments, courtesy calls and social media exposure.

Public Relations was coordinated by Felicity Ingraham and Arthia Nixon. Social Media was coordinated by Najah Plakaris.

Below are some highlights of the press that was received for the camp.

Image 22: BETA President Trenicka Rolle on the phone live with ZNS Northern Edition

Image 23: BETA President, Trenicka Rolle and Vice-President, D’André Wilson-Ihejirika, on Guardian 96.9 Morning Blend with Dwight Strachan

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Image 24: Excerpt from Nassau Guardian article highlighting the BETA camp and sponsor Sun Oil Ltd.

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Image 25: BETA and STEMBoard highlighted in the Big T of the Tribune

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Image 26: BETA President, Trenicka Rolle, Director of Communications, Travis Miller, and Vice-President, D’André Wilson-Ihejirika live on Bahamas at Sunrise

Image 27: BETA, STEMBoard and Fonzworth Bentley meet with Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald

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Image 28: Social Media coverage of speech from Title Sponsor, Rocket Fuel "Gives Back"

Image 29: Social Media coverage of closing keynote, National Society of Black Engineers chair, Sossena Wood

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Camp Outcomes Throughout the camp there were three groups of people working to make the camp a success, the

instructors/organizers, volunteers and students. The camp consisted of 11 instructors for which there were 3

Aerospace, 1 Mechanical, 1 Biomedical, 1 Chemical, 2 Civil/Environmental, 2 Computer Science/Web

Development and 1 Electrical. There were 12 volunteers who were split to 2 volunteers per stream based on

their interest and college/professional backgrounds. Lastly, as previously mentioned there were 77 students

enrolled within the camp. On the following page you will find feedback specifcally from the students.

Students

In order to gauge students input on the camp exit surveys were given to students on the last day of camp.

Summarized below are key aspects of how students view engineering and their input on the camp itself.

Description of Engineers Students were asked to give three words that describe an engineer based on what was learnt throughout the week of camp. Key words that the majority of students used included:

Helpful Passionate Committed

Self-less Creativity Diligent/Persistent

Hardworking Innovative Versatile

Smart Skillful Wealthy

Intelligent Resourceful

Level of Interest:

Figure 9: Student survey response for the level of interest in engineering after BETA Camp

Note: There were 2 students who did not complete the survey due to absence. Scales were rated with 1 being

the least and 5 the greatest.

0

1

2

3

4

5

2 4 27 42

Leve

l of

Inte

rest

Sca

le

Number of Students

Post Camp Interest in Engineering

Level of Interest

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Understanding of What Engineers Do:

Figure 10: Student survey response of their understanding of the function of engineers after BETA Camp

Assessment of Camp Overall:

Figure 11: Student survey response for their rating on the overall camp

0

1

2

3

4

5

11 38 25

Scal

e (1

-5)

Number of Students

Post Camp Understanding of Engineering

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

3 4 12 29 27

Rat

ing

Scal

e

Number of Students

Student Rating of Overall Camp

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Assessment of Individual Engineering Streams:

Figure 12: Student survey response on individual engineering streams

Likelihood of Attending Another BETA Camp:

Figure 13: Student survey response for attending BETA Camp if offered again next summer

Based on the information above 92% of students have a high level of interest of engineering after BETA Camp.

85% of students who attended the camp have a better understanding of the role of engineers. 91% of

students gave the overall camp a rating of 8 and above. Lastly, 77% of students gave a rating of 4-5 that

suggest they would attend another BETA Camp if offered.

5

5.5

6

6.5

7

7.5

8

8.5

9

9.5

10

Aero/Mech Biomedical Chemical Civil ComputerScience/Web

Dev

Electrical

Average Rating for Engineering Streams

0

1

2

3

4

5

1 2 14 12 46

Scal

e

Number of Students

Ratings for Attending Another BETA Camp

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Future Recommendations The 2014 BETA Camp exceeded expectations in a number of ways, including funds raised, students reached

and overall feedback. There are some areas that we are hoping to improve on, specifically, ratio of female to

male students, as well as number of instructors per stream.

Table 10: Summary of pre-camp targets and post camp actuals

Pre-Camp Target Post-Camp Actual

Number of Students 60 77 Number of Freeport Students 10 15 Gender Ratio (female-male) 50% - 50% 28% - 72% Fundraising Target $30,000 $32,500 Average Number of Instructors per Stream 2 1.8 Total Number of Volunteers 15 12 Student Feedback (out of 10) 8.0 8.97 Post Camp Interest in Engineering (out of 5) 4.0 4.43

We surveyed our students, volunteers and instructors for potential recommendations.

Student Recommendations Students primarily wanted to see improvements in the following areas:

Time Management

o Increase length of camp to 2 weeks

o More time to work on design projects

o More breaks in-between programming

o Decrease time before activities to start each morning

o Time to walk to classroom from the library (for those in the A-block)

Lunch

o Alternate food options for included lunch.

o Option to buy from restaurants in the area.

o Have more water/drinks available

Programming

o Include more outdoor activities/recess on the basketball court

o More games/icebreaker activities

o Have fieldtrips

o More stream options (marine engineering, nuclear engineering)

o Decrease the amount of introduction lectures on the first day

o Less lectures and more hands-on activites

o Don’t have random group assignments for design project

Target Audience

o Increase the age limit of the camp

o Accommodate more students from other family islands (feedback from applicants not

accepted)

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Volunteer Recommendations Volunteers primarily wanted to see improvements in the following areas:

Time Management

o Increasing the length of time for students to perform experiments and have discussions of

theory

o More time for students to work on design projects

Organization of the streams

o Having activity materials set-up before-hand to save time

o Having more comprehensive instructions for activities

o Allowing volunteers more autonomy in instructing the class (provide them with lesson guides)

o Testing out activities before-hand to ensure they run smoothly in the session

o Having stream content tie-in to the design project theme

o Allow students to give evaluation of volunteers to allow for volunteer personal development

Instructor Recommendations Instructors primarily wanted to see improvements in the following areas:

Resource Management

o Having at least 2 instructors per stream

o Having at least 2 volunteers per stream

o Ensuring all students have access to an individual computer and do not have to share

Time Management

o Students needed more time to complete some of the in-stream assignments

Organization

o In general, better coordination between the stream leads in terms of scheduling and content

expectations.

o Have daily debriefs with the stream leads and organizing team to ensure alignment for

remainder of the camp

Programming

o Have stream activities tie-in to the design project topic

o Having field trips to specific engineering/technical sites

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BETA 10-Year Outlook BETA’s mission is centered on 3 tenants:

To strengthen STEM education

To create opportunities for engineers

To address vital infrastructure issues throughout the Bahamas

With these in mind, over the next 5-10 years, the objectives of the BETA team will target these key areas.

Strengthening STEM Education

BETA’s desire is to ensure that the exposure of engineering to Bahamian youth exists. Securing a future of driven and

technically equipped engineers is a fundamental initiative of BETA. There are several directives to which BETA will

achieve this facet of the mission.

1. BETA Camp

In order to increase the efficacy, quality and success of the BETA Camp over the next 5-10 years the BETA team

plans to: do the following within specific time frames:

1 year

Increase the number of instructors to a minimum of 2 per discipline to add value to each engineering

stream.

Train college and university students to act as volunteers to help instructors carry out the lesson plan for

each stream.

Increase hands-on activities and labs in order to stimulate students via engaged learning

Construct design projects that will encompass the knowledge from each discipline while increasing time

allotment for work on projects

Improve the technical design exhibition to encompass experiments and activities with finished products

to display as well as improving the overall visual layout with signage and poster boards.

Include group exercises to build rapport and team building amongst students and

instructors/volunteers.

2 years

Expand BETA Camp to both Grand Bahama and New Providence, while inviting students from the near

outer islands such as Abaco, Bimini, Grand Cay, Andros, Eleuthera etc. to attend.

Create a separate Mechanical Engineering stream so that mechanical engineering can be taught in

depth.

Include other “specialized” engineering disciplines such as marine engineering, industrial engineering

and nuclear engineering.

Allow for field trips to various companies and sites that relate to engineering.

5 years

Increase the overall number of target students with a focus on female recruitment, with a target of 50-

50 female-male enrolment in the next 5 years.

10 years

Establish satellite camps on targeted Family Islands

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2. High School Curriculum

The BETA team realizes that it’s also important to engage students throughout the academic year. Hence, it is

the intent to work with the Ministry of Education to produce a curriculum that can give students a pre-

engineering background that will provide an advantage upon entering college. Such a curriculum will be based

on the following and will be executed within specified timeframes:

1 year

Establish contacts within the Ministry of Education for curriculum development

2 years

Develop a qualified team of BETA sub-committee members specifically devoted to curriculum

development that works with contact within the Ministry of Education.

5 years

Work closely with Ministry of education to revamp the current curriculum and create a pilot within

specified schools to achieve the following:

o Completion of the Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology (OR Combined Science) and English

BGCSE’s with grades of B and above for 75% of participants.

o Commencement of the 12th grade for 100% of participants

o Cumulative GPA’s of 3.0 and above for 75% of participants

10 years

Inclusion of pre-calculus and calculus math, introductory physics for engineers, intermediate chemistry,

introductory statics, culture and leadership development, enterprising and entrepreneurship as options

within the curriculum.

3. After-School Programs

Beyond the in-school curriculum, it is important that students with keen interest in STEM have avenues to foster

and develop that interest. After-school programs are great ways to keep students involved in learning beyond

the classroom. This after-school program will be based on a more hands-on approach to learning and

discovering all that STEM entails in terms of its introduction to its applications:

1 year

Identify key contacts within College of the Bahamas to assist in the development of this program

2 years

Partner with the College of The Bahamas’ Department of Mathematics, Physics and Technology and the

National Society of Black Engineers College of the Bahamas chapter to begin a pilot for this program at

the COB campus after school.

5 years

Develop a detailed curriculum, which can be easily implemented universally by school teachers and/or

volunteers across New Providence and test within specified schools.

10 years

Expand the completed program curriculum to Freeport schools and the family islands

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4. Nation-Wide Competitions

In order to gauge national support of STEM initiatives as well as an excitement among students, the BETA team

hopes to introduce national competitions for Bahamian students. This will not only help students to become

more excited and engaged in STEM but help to build teamwork, problem solving skills and creativity to solving

national issues within the country. Based on outcomes from the BETA Camp 2014 Design Project Competition,

students have the ability to work together and develop innovative solutions that can be viable solutions to

current and pressing national issues. Such issues can be tackled from a technical/scientific perspective.

1 year

Identify key contacts across the nation currently doing STEM related competition (LEGO League, Science

Fairs, etc.)

2 years

Determine primary focus area for pilot competition to be hosted by BETA

Work with external contacts to develop competition guidelines and details

5 years

Successfully implement competition across New Providence with a minimum of 10 teams participating.

10 years

Expand the completed program to Freeport and the family islands

Creating Opportunities for Engineers

As a team composed mainly of engineers, we share the common thread that many of us have studied abroad

and the opportunities to return our knowledge and skills to the Bahamas are limited. Even more so we are

discouraged by many to not return home as we will be better off if we stay in the countries where we studied.

It is the objective of BETA to dispel the mindset that we as educated and technically inclined Bahamians are

better off in places other than our own country. We hope to bring together the existing labor force of Bahamian

engineers, recent college graduates of engineering and those desiring to pursue engineers in order to bridge the

gap between the three groups.

It is our aim to partner and continue to build our relationship which with the Bahamas Society of Engineers (BSE)

to provide a network of Bahamian engineers that will provide opportunities in the following areas:

1. Youth/ New Grad Employment

In order to increase the number of qualified technical professionals in the Bahamian workforce, we want to

develop our young people and present them with opportunities upon graduation. This will be done through

Internship and Mentorship programming.

1 year

Establish connections with BETA Camp corporate sponsors and BETA Camp student volunteers to begin

the process of an internship/mentorship program.

Work with contacts within BSE to source professionals for mentorship opportunities

Establish partnership with College of the Bahamas to source youth for mentorship/internship program

2 years

Create a BETA sub-committee to develop the curriculum for a mentorship/internship program

5 years

Successfully pair at least 5 individuals to mentors/internship opportunities

10 years

Work with companies and technical professionals to continually improve the technical development of

youth though their in-house mentoring/internship programs

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2. Technical Development

To keep local technical professionals engaged and globally competitive, it is important to hold events that will

allow experienced engineers and technologists to continually learn and develop. This will be done by organizing

public panels, technical workshops, and conferences:

1 year

Develop partnership with BSE to source volunteers and to establish workshop/public panel/conference

development committee.

2 years

Create BETA sub-committee to develop key focus areas for technical development in collaboration with

BSE.

Host pilots for public panels and technical workshops

5 years

Establish program that hosts a minimum of 1 public panel and 2 technical workshops per year.

Create BETA sub-committee for conference development

10 years

Host first BETA technical conference with minimum of 100 attendees

Addressing Vital Infrastructure Issues throughout the Bahamas

BETA and its partner believe that we are vital to helping the Bahamas progress as a nation. We face many issues as

a country, especially as it relates to our infrastructure. Ongoing issues such as traffic, roads, bridges, water supply,

marine life, electricity, development of new industries, job security and so many others plague our country today.

We hope as a group to be able to affect change in these areas through the following stages:

1 year

Continue to develop BETA programming in partnership with contacts in BSE, COB, government and

industry.

2 years

Through pilots of public panel engagements, determine key areas of consideration for technical

improvement

5 years

Create a BETA consulting sub-committee, in collaboration with BSE, of technical professionals with a

common goal to affect change in these areas.

Establish contacts in industry through BETA Camp corporate sponsors and through other BETA

programming

10 years

Complete development of the BETA consulting sub-committee and complete detailed action plan for

implementation of identified changes

By focusing on these key initiatives over the next 10 years, we believe we can truly make a positive impact on

the Bahamas in the areas of Engineering and Technology.

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Questions or Comments?

E [email protected] W www.betac242.com

2014 beta camp annual report

Documents

biomedical engineering

chemical engineering

electrical engineering

beta camp

different engineering

camp overview

camp demographics

summary of stream activities