Washburn Education Department

Now enrolling for the Fall 2026 Science of Reading/Seal of Literacy graduate courses! No cost, six graduate credits (can be applied to the M.Ed. degree), and a stipend upon completion!

Week 2 of STEM Camp 2026 is in full swing! We welcomed a brand new group of young engineers and scientists to Washburn University, and they have hit the ground running.

Monday kicked things off with tie dye camp shirts, solar car builds, and prototype bubble wand designs.

Tuesday brought bridge building with our friends from Kansas Department of Transportation, followed by the paper airplane competition. Every camper impressed us with their creative designs and scientific thinking! We ended the day relaxing at the Rossville pool.

Wednesday was all about the engineering design cycle. Campers tested their prototype bubble wands and redesigned colorful final products, engineered Sphero-powered rescue boats in our Gilligan’s Island challenge, and started designing roller coasters. We also squeezed in a few games at Gage Bowl, where Mr. Graves successfully defended his bowling crown.

Today’s preview: a visit to Washburn Tech, the roller coaster showcase, and the Robot Olympics. Stay tuned!

What a finish to STEM Camp 2026! Here’s how our final three days unfolded.

Day 3 brought our roller coaster showcase, a bubble wand redesign session, and the moment everyone had been waiting for: the paper airplane competition. Our winning camper set a new camp history record with a flight of over 18 meters! We cooled off afterward with an afternoon at the pool.

Day 4 took us to Washburn Tech, where campers explored the electrical, medical, and automotive programs. Then it was time for the Robot Olympics. Basketball, soccer, and racing, all played by robots our campers programmed themselves!

Day 5 packed a full week of engineering into one day. Campers returned to their bridges and tested them with our friends from KDOT. In our Beetle Bike Helmets challenge, they learned about helmet safety and used biomimicry to design helmets inspired by beetle shells, protecting ping pong ball “riders” from some serious impacts (not every rider survived testing). Our Gilligan’s Island challenge had campers engineering boats powered by Sphero robots to rescue the stranded crew, tested in real water. They also built Jitter Bugs, creative robot bugs they got to take home. And in a fitting finale, campers received their final 3D-printed bubble wands in all their colorful glory, completing the full engineering design cycle they started on Day 1: design, test, redesign, and rebuild.

Day 2 of STEM Camp was a blast!

This year’s campers have impressed us from the start. They are curious, creative, and ready to tackle every challenge we hand them.

The morning began with bridge building alongside engineers from the Kansas Department of Transportation. We’re grateful to this team for returning year after year. Who better to teach our campers about bridge engineering than the people who design Kansas bridges for a living?

Campers experimented like true scientists, testing different designs, materials, and weights to engineer the farthest flying plane. Our much anticipated distance contest will be happening soon!

The afternoon took us to Gage Bowl for snacks and a couple of games. Thank you to the staff for taking such good care of our campers! Mr. Graves, WU Education Department faculty and STEM Camp leader, took the bowling crown. We’re not sure it’s fair, since he used to coach bowling…

We wrapped up the day learning about forces and starting construction on model roller coasters. The finished coasters will be judged tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Welcome to STEM Camp 2026!

Our 9th annual STEM Camp kicked off today as we welcomed our first group of young engineers and scientists to Washburn University.

Campers wasted no time getting hands-on. They built solar cars in the morning, and then spent the afternoon exploring the engineering design process, using CAD software and 3D printing to design a bubble wand prototype from scratch. Later this week, they’ll test their wands, gather data, and redesign them.

They also made custom camp shirts to wear on this week’s adventures: bowling, swimming, and a visit to Washburn Tech.

Thank you to the parents and guardians who trusted us with these wonderful young people. Follow along all week as we share their projects and discoveries!

Dr. Carolyn Carlson represented Washburn University and the other institutions of higher education in Kansas at the signing of HB 2485 by Governor Laura Kelly. This bill, known as the Blueprint for Literacy, supports teachers, students, and families through a statewide collaboration.

Dr. Michael Rettig was honored as Professor Emeritus at a reception for those retiring from Washburn University. Thanks Dr. Rettig for all you have done for us. We will miss you!

Congratulations to our hardworking, Spring 2026 student teachers! We celebrated their accomplishments on Tuesday, May 5. Mr. Carter described this group of new teachers as “smart.” They not only have high GPAs, but they are able to determine what their students need to be successful and modify the way the teach to meet their needs. We are excited for the bright futures of these teachers!

Topeka Collegiate brought elementary students to campus so our STEM Methods teacher candidates could teach them about earthquakes and volcanoes. We appreciate our ongoing partnership with Topeka Collegiate!