Area teens looking to improve their computer skills, gathered last week to study cyber security during the North Alabama STEM Ecocsystem’s Cyberpatriot Camp.

Wallace State Community College and the Ecocsystem hosted the camp where students participated in team building activities and games that included lessons in computer basics, cybersecurity principles and Linux operating systems.

The North Alabama STEM Ecocsystem’s was created as part of the Alabama STEM Council’s goal to improve STEM education, career awareness and workforce development across Alabama. The council was established by Gov. Kay Ivey in 2020.

Ecocsystem coordinator Aubrey Lovell credits the council, and Wallace State President, and council member, Dr. Vicki Karolewics with the Ecosystem’s design.

Lovell said Cyberpatriot Camp is one way to get students interested in STEM. But her primary role is making sure area schools have the tools needed to teach the next generation of STEM workers.

“A lot of what I do is help schools with funding. I will help them find money to buy new stem equipment or lab kits or, like, if they need a microscope, I can help them fund that. There’s no age that I don’t work with. It’s just the need at the time. During the school year, I’ll work mainly with the school system, K12. During the summer … library or home schoolers. So I have to prioritize with the seasons,” said Lovell who covers Cullman, Winston, Walker, Morgan and Blount Counties.

A main component of Lovell’s job is helping students see the broad career paths available in STEM.

“They want to be a nurse, they want to be a doctor, they want to be a teacher. I’ve had plenty of students tell me they want to be a nurse, but they don’t like blood. And I’m like, maybe you need to rethink that. Or somebody who wants to be a rocket scientist, but they hate math. I’m like, okay, let’s find something like that, that you like.

“You work on your dad’s chicken farm? You can work for Tyson and be a poultry scientist. I try to connect the dots for them.”