STEM bootcamps help PBSC students build skills and confidence

After more than a decade away from the classroom, Gene Feldman knew he needed to brush up on his math skills. At 52, the longtime teacher is on sabbatical and is enrolled in PBSC’s Electrical Power Technology program. To prepare for upcoming coursework, he joined PBSC’s Math Jumpstart program, a free 4-day bootcamp designed to help students review foundational math concepts and build confidence before taking college-level math courses.

“I’m learning some strategies and looking at things a different way,” Feldman said. “I think it’s a real positive thing. This program enables people to come together and get over their math anxiety.”

Reducing the fear and frustration students often carry into math is at the heart of Math Jumpstart. PBSC Professor Anurag Katyal, one of the camp’s instructors, focuses on changing students’ mindsets as much as their math skills.

“Many students find math overwhelming,” Katyal said. “I hope that the students that came in thinking that math was this angry dragon or scary thing that they were afraid of, walk away thinking that it’s not really that.”

The College also hosted a free, week-long Chemistry Bootcamp this summer open to all PBSC students at the Palm Beach Gardens campus, led by Professor Cynthia Judd. The camp combined lectures with hands-on lab experience, giving students the opportunity to practice skills like measuring density and volume and even making aspirin.

For 19-year-old Edlaine Exavier, the Chemistry Bootcamp was just what she needed. Pursuing an Associate in Arts degree on the health sciences track, she wanted to feel more confident before beginning General Chemistry I in the fall.

“Having that one-to-one contact with the instructor has been great, and it gives me an advantage because I feel better going into my chemistry class,” Exavier said. “I already know what we’re going to do, so I feel I won’t struggle as much.”

Both the Math Jumpstart and Chemistry Bootcamp programs are supported by the National Science Foundation’s STEM Articulation and Transfer Collaborative (SATC) grant. The $1.5 million grant, launched in 2019, aims to support STEM students at PBSC and help them transfer successfully to four-year institutions. The Academic Communities project at PBSC also helped support the bootcamps by sponsoring lunches for participants.

Since 2021, a total of five chemistry and two math bootcamps have been held, positively impacting over 100 students. On the first day, students complete a pre-assessment covering key foundational concepts to gauge their baseline knowledge. A post-assessment is administered on the final day to measure learning gains after all content has been covered.

Participants in the Math Jumpstart program experienced an average increase of 22% in content knowledge and skills. Additionally, nearly 94% of students reported feeling more confident and prepared for their upcoming math courses. Of those students, 76% went on to enroll in math courses during the following fall or spring semesters, including Developmental Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra and precalculus, with a pass rate of approximately 70.

Students who completed the Chemistry Bootcamp showed an average increase of 24% in content knowledge and skills. Around 70% reported greater confidence and preparedness for their upcoming chemistry courses. Following the program, 60% of participants enrolled in chemistry courses the next fall or spring, achieving a pass rate of roughly 71%. Enrolled courses included Principles of Chemistry, Introductory Chemistry, General Chemistry I & II and Organic Chemistry I & II.

PBSC’s Math Jumpstart and Chemistry Bootcamp are strong examples of how targeted, hands-on preparation can empower students of all backgrounds to thrive in STEM coursework and beyond.