The STEAM Camps at Jones Academy help students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math (STEAM). Students are given real-world problems to solve and challenge the students to come up with a solution using tools available to them.
The course helps Choctaw students ask questions, find new solutions, solve problems, think outside the box and become innovators. STEAM camps take place across the United States, and some of the real-world solutions that have been found in these camps have helped to push our understanding of the world.
STEAM offers Choctaw children a way forward by lighting a path for a future career. STEAM jobs grew by 16% in the U.S. between 2014 and 2024 compared to only 11% for other sectors, according to U.S. Labor figures. In that same Labor report, science and engineering careers earn more than double the income of the median job in the United States.
Starting Choctaw children on a STEAM learning path when they are young gives them a leg up in the education and jobs market. The STEAM program encourages young kids to speak up with their ideas and ask questions. Being in a collaborative environment also helps young children with teamwork skills to drive innovation and spread knowledge among their teammates.
Children can also learn by observing how their peers tackle issues and come up with solutions that not only provide the potential for a better approach but also enable children to learn that some solutions can be reached in multiple ways. Learning Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math skills at an early age helps our Choctaw students in their school learning journey and enhances interpersonal skills gained by working as a team.
The Choctaw Nation offers STEAM Camps at Jones Academy throughout the month of June. The application deadline was April 1. If your child was unable to attend this year’s camp, there will be another chance in 2026.
These camps are just another way that the Choctaw Nation is investing in our tribal children to ensure a bright future for our tribe.
Photo by Christian Chaney
Project Pelichi campers listen attentively to a lesson during STEAM Camp.