Students showcased new skills during summer camp
Area students showcased new skills during a summer camp tour provided to local and state officials last week.
On July 16, county commissioners joined local and state officials to visit STATT (skilled trades, agriculture, tourism, and technology) Camp at Worcester Technical High School. STATT Camp, open to youth going into grades 8-12, was split into two, one-week sessions from July 8–17 and July 21–31. Each session included engaging class instruction, educational field trips, and dynamic, hands-on, problem-solving projects. Students selected two specialized tracks per session from a wide range of offerings, including biomedical engineering, robotics and drones, culinary arts, digital arts, laser cutting, carpentry, fire science, agriculture science, plumbing, welding, 3D printing, and digital audio production.
Worcester County Tourism and Economic Development (WCTED) and Board of Education officials partnered to host the camp tour. Guests visited classrooms and witnessed student projects up close.
“The tour was a resounding success, with attendees impressed by both the creativity and technical skills on display,” WCTED Director Melanie Pursel said. “The continued growth of the STATT Camp, in both student interest and program offerings, reflects the strong commitment of the community and partners behind it.”
A total of 114 students participated in the program this summer.
In the biomedical lab, Caleb Cropper and Michael Carista (both 14) analyzed mock human remains discovered on the edge of the Pocomoke River to determine if the bones are those of a young girl who disappeared years earlier.
“I’m pretty sure it’s a female,” said Cropper, who made good use of the skills he acquired to solve the mystery.
In the culinary arts lab, student teams showcased their skills in a “mystery basket” cooking challenge that required them to incorporate farm-to-table items picked fresh from the school’s outdoor community garden to create unique dishes. Their meals were judged on taste, presentation, and attention to post-cooking clean-up.
In laser cutting, recent high school graduate Luca Magathan, who created an impressive replica of the Sagrada Familia for his mother as a reminder of their trip to Spain, helped the campers with settings, supports, and overcoming hardware issues. Magathan, who graduated from the pre-engineering and computer science programs at WTHS, will step into the aerospace engineering program at the University of Maryland this fall.
In digital audio production, Tyrell Topping (13), who is interested in pursuing a career in criminal justice, placed the finishing touches on “What If We Made It.” This is the first song that Topping has ever written. The melody is moving and serves as the framework for powerful, introspective lyrics that wax literary.
Offered at no cost to families, STATT camp is made possible thanks to generous support from the Rural Maryland Council and Worcester County Government. View camp photos at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCmFaL. Learn more about the S.T.A.T.T. Camp and get updates for the 2026 program at www.worcesterk12.org.