Virtually, a summer of learning..

What are some of your favorite summer memories from childhood? Most people would rank summer camps high on their list. But for millions of kids, losing summer camps due to the pandemic is yet another blow in 2020 as it relates to missed childhood milestones and experiences. Interactive learning opportunities and hands-on work at these kid-oriented camps gives a unique sense of community and leads to personal growth resulting in an enjoyable experience for most. This year in particular, after being cooped up at home for weeks, adjusting to distance-learning while separated from their friends, teachers and classmates, kids may have needed their summer camps more than ever. 

STEM-focused camps, particularly those directed at girls and under-represented minorities, help tremendously in building a sense of community, and nurturing a sense of their belonging in STEM. Fortunately, some camps were able to pivot to a remote mode on short notice while trying to maintain the learning objectives through a virtual camp. Such camps can often allow increase in enrollment thereby increasing access which is an additional benefit and can help with improving diversity and equity. In many cases the current in-person model was replicated in the digital domain – real field trips became virtual expeditions, guest speakers/role models presented virtually and demos/displays switched to remote viewing. Many camps delivered supplies or ‘STEM kits’ so that the hands-on experience could still happen followed by online exhibitions at the end of the week where students could showcase their work.

Camp consternation

It is often said that relationships are the foundation of learning - when students feel connected to their peers and teachers, they’re more likely to thrive. And it is indeed tough to create that sense of connectedness without physically coming together in a group setting. Additionally, the many benefits of face-to-face interaction, including more spontaneous conversations that can spark new ideas or create new friendships are perhaps hard to create in a virtual mode especially with pre-teen girls. I recently got the opportunity to have a “virtual lunch” with the young participants of an all-girls STEM camp. During the planning sessions I was alerted to the fact that while I speak to them many will not have their video-mode on! I have previously talked about the problem of female under-representation in STEM and ways to engage more girls through exposure. However, this year poses a particularly tough challenge as most kids have suddenly transitioned to distance-learning.

For my virtual lunch I had to adapt and rely largely on storytelling. And, with no visual cues to their reactions to what I was saying or showing, I resorted to asking a lot of questions in attempts to engage them. I relied on past interactions with kids and my experiences with my own daughter. Instead of focusing the conversation on my educational background and current role and projects I talked about why I like being a scientist – solving problems creatively, innovating and inventing to help people, improving lives with sustainable innovation etc. I also talked about the fun-factor: traveling the world, working with people from around the globe, being on TV! And I kept asking questions and finally their questions started coming in. I was able to use their questions as an opportunity to weave in educational background, current role and finally projects that they could relate to, like my work on diaper fasteners for wiggly babies.

The need for facilitating ongoing remote pivotal conversations that can tap into their sense of curiosity and wonder became quite apparent. It is something parents can engage in as well to extend learning. I have previously talked about the importance of encouraging kids to look into something rather than looking at it. At 3M, we worked with a local science museum, a local school district and others to create ‘3M Science at Home’ —a STEM-based distance learning program and we have also continued to sponsor camps to inspire the next generation of diverse scientists.

(Re)Boot camp

Interestingly all the challenges of a sudden transition to virtual mode impact many aspects of work as well. The same challenges were apparent as I connected this week with new employees on-boarding during the pandemic. I recently also spoke to 3M interns whose internship was rendered virtual during these uncertain times. Some companies scrapped their intern programs altogether, but 3M got creative here as well and provided access and opportunity to contribute while remote. A critical part of the intern experience is of course being on campus and interacting with the many 3Mers in a casual and informal settings – although that could not happen for many, there were certain benefits to internships this year, in that, the students got to hear from senior leaders who may have otherwise been on the road.

Nonetheless, for any virtual program, adapted from a physical one, there needs to be a concerted effort to foster a sense of community given that everyday casual interactions will be limited in the virtual mode. There is perhaps a lot to be learned from the experiences and especially grievances of those who had been working remotely even prior to the pandemic. Most experts agree that a critical element is the focus on meaningful connections to prevent a feeling of isolation. It is critical to gauge engagement with regular check-ins while continuing conscious communications.

Be it summer camps, interns, new employees or for that matter veterans, the current virtual models that have transitioned from physical ones, will need to allow for time, space and techniques to connect at a real human level, especially if participants do not have the benefit of knowing each other. This calls for well-designed tools and incentives designed for social engagement and well-trained practitioners for fostering a sense of connectedness – the kind that feels authentic and not contrived. It’s going to be a summer of learning and stretching outside of our own comfort zone for most of us, especially as we adjust to much-needed remote access to face-time. It is as if we are all in camps this summer - it calls for patience with ourselves, those we interact with and the technology that will help facilitate it all. 

But if we can learn and master these elements this summer we will all be Happy Campers!

Communications for connectedness

Adaptation with adoption

Mentoring while monitoring

Patience and persistence

Success in access

What have been your experiences and best practices as we navigate with a foot in both camps?