A Franklin student built his own robot, analyzed blood samples in a forensic manner and dissected a calf heart during a weeklong science, technology, engineering and math camp in the Chicago suburbs.
Tauran Epperson, who is heading back to school today at Custer Baker Intermediate School, participated in National Youth Leadership Forum: Explore STEM from July 18 to 23 at Trinity International University in Bannockburn, Illinois, after his Creekside Elementary School teacher, Patricia Carman nominated him.
Carman taught Epperson in her high-ability class and nominated him among seven or eight other students, though not everyone could make the trip, she said.
“Tauran is an exceptional student. He is brilliant,” Carman said. “I think (the camp) gives students an opportunity to experience some real-world subjects in more depth and to really delve into some of those subjects like engineering and medicine.”
Epperson’s lifelong interest in STEM bubbled to the surface in first grade. His teacher, Sarah Records, incorporated science activities in the classroom, said Christy Epperson, his mother.
During the summer camp, Tauran Epperson got to further explore his interest in robotics by building a robot of his own, he said.
“I really like having my own robot. I think robots and engineering are really cool. That was a really fun experience,” Epperson said.
The camp also provided Epperson the chance to examine a new area he had not previously thought of, he said.
“I gained a lot of interest in CSI, and I’ll possibly consider it for the future,” Epperson said. “I learned blood samples and how they can indicate if they were dropped from an angle on the floor. I also learned how to compare substances to others by dropping water in it to see the chemical reaction. I also learned how to dissect a calf heart, which was really fun for me.”
It is important for students to explore STEM at a young age, as many fields with the greatest demand involve STEM subjects, Carman said.
“STEM is important — it’s our future,” she said. “There are jobs and careers that these students might choose to go into. To get a taste of this in a deep and meaningful way can ignite a passion for what they study and become as adults.”
