STEM Boot Camp

For the one-week program in August, students live on campus and attend daily classes, seminars and discussions aimed at increasing preparedness for college STEM courses and discussing common student concerns and challenges. The students are also matched with peer mentors, all successful alumni of the program. Lodging, food and any materials are provided free of charge.

During the summer camp, students experience:

• Sample lectures provided by UW-Whitewater faculty, pulled from their introductory courses.
• Face-to-face "office hour" meetings with multiple STEM faculty members.
• Tips, practice, and feedback on essential student skills, with an emphasis on effective note-taking, studying, and adapting to varied teaching and testing methods.
• A hands-on lab to explore laboratory course structure.
• Researching and planning scientific experiments with other students.
• Discussions with student mentors, program advisors, and other faculty about college experiences, common challenges for freshman STEM students, and how students can avoid and successfully respond to these challenges.
• An overview of campus programs, including undergraduate research and student support programs.

Through the fall of their first year, SBC students attend one-on-one meetings with peer mentors and program advisors. Students are also required to meet goals that aid student success, such as attending office hours with course instructors.

All SBC students are also invited to attend weekly lunch hours through the academic year to connect (or stay connected!) with the SBC community. Lunches are often attended by program directors, peer mentors, and program alumni, including previous SBC participants and graduates.

To be eligible to participate in SBC, students must:

• Be enrolled (or planning to enroll) as a freshman at UW-Whitewater for the upcoming fall semester. We also welcome applications from students who have been accepted but have not yet committed to be a Warhawk.
• Have social, educational, or economic barriers to a career in STEM.
• Be interested in a career in the sciences or other STEM-related programs like biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, math, data analytics or physics. We welcome undecided majors, too, if you are interested in science careers in general but haven’t picked your path yet!

If you have any questions about your eligibility, please contact us.

Applying is easy. Applications are accepted and evaluated on a rolling basis until the program is filled, so earlier applications will have the best odds of acceptance. On the application form you will be asked to provide your contact information, your current GPA, your intended major(s), and your reason(s) for applying to the program. You’ll also be asked to describe any social, educational, and/or economic factors that may represent barriers to STEM programs or pathways for you.