Avery Mulholland (right) poses with STEM Camp students and Education Coordinator Trevor Davies (center).
Learning is most impactful when it moves beyond the classroom and into the real world. That’s exactly what happened when Avery Mulholland, Civil Engineer in Training in Widseth’s Brainerd/Baxter office, spent an afternoon volunteering with students attending the Northland Arboretum’s STEM Adventure Camp in Brainerd.
The four-day camp is designed for students ages 11-14 who enjoy exploring, building, experimenting, and asking questions about how the world works. Through hands-on activities in an outdoor setting, campers are challenged to think critically, work collaboratively, and apply science and engineering concepts to real-world situations.
Avery helps a student get started with his wind-powered water pump.
Avery worked with a group of seven students as they tackled two engineering-focused projects: designing and testing water filtration systems and building wind-powered water pumps. Rather than simply providing answers, Avery encouraged the students to think through challenges on their own. She asked thoughtful questions, offered suggestions to spark creativity, and helped campers evaluate different approaches as they tested and refined their designs.
“One of the best parts of engineering is solving problems and finding creative solutions,” Avery said. “It was rewarding to see the students experiment, learn from setbacks, and improve their designs as they worked through each challenge.”
Students experimented with multiple water filtration designs.
The activities gave students a glimpse into how engineers use science and innovation to address real-world needs. From improving water quality to harnessing renewable energy, the projects demonstrated how engineering can have a meaningful impact on communities.
At Widseth, we believe investing in the next generation is an investment in the future. Opportunities like STEM Adventure Camp help young people discover new interests, build confidence, and develop skills that can lead to rewarding careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
We’re proud of Avery for sharing her time and expertise with these young learners and helping inspire the next generation of engineers, innovators, and problem solvers.
Avery assists a student with building the gears of her wind-powered water pump.
