Arizona State University’s (ASU) New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences has hosted SummerUp Camps since 2018, but this year the program also hosted community college students from Compton College for a special STEM and college success camp.

Compton College is a community college in Compton, California that offers courses to the communities of Compton, Lynwood and Paramount.

“Many of our students come to Compton College with limited financial means. We are a beacon of hope and light in our community to provide educational opportunities for our students both to either get a living wage job or to transfer to a university,” said Lauren Davis Soseka, manager of research and planning at Compton College.

A majority of Compton College students are from underrepresented groups, wit 63% of students identifying as Hispanic or Latino and 22% identifying as Black.

The SummerUp Camps are day and weeklong camps that offer hands-on opportunities to explore everything from coding to crime scene investigation, cybersecurity and more.

The 27 participants from Compton College in attendance at the SummerUp Camp range in ages from 18 to 52 years old and were selected from a pool of over 160 applicants.

“This camp was the first of its kind for the West campus, so we were eager to give students a taste of university life while also creating a sense of belonging. So many participants were first-generation, we really wanted to help them envision a future where graduating from a four-year university is within reach,” said Carolyn Starr, director of community events and experiential programming at West campus.

Participants take science, technology, engineering and mathematics related course taught by New College faculty. They also participate in an ASU 101 course where they learn all about transferring to a university and other useful college success tips.

At the conclusion of the camp each student presents a final presentation where they share what they have learned from the experience.