D
uring his childhood in Burnside, Kentucky, Dr. Craig
Schroeder was always taking things apart and trying
to fix them — a tinkerer.
“Most of the time I was unsuccessful, but occasionally I
was able to repair my remote control car or video game
console,” Schroeder said. “I have an innate drive to fix
things or make them work properly.”
Schroeder teaches math and science at Beaumont
Middle School in Lexington. On summer vacation a
few years ago, he picked up some Malcolm Gladwell
books. Gladwell’s theories inspired the tinkerer in
Schroeder.
In “Outliers,” Gladwell says innate talent is not the
only key to success. For instance, what advantages
took place in the childhood of a Thomas Edison
or Mozart? Seemingly small things can make a big
difference.
Schroeder started tinkering with ideas about
what advantages he could create for students. For
instance, Bill Gates has innate talents and abilities
— but he also had the good fortune of growing up
near a high school where he accessed a powerful
computer at age 13.
Soon, Schroeder’s idea for See Blue STEM Camp
was born (STEM stands for science, technology,
engineering and math). At camp, rising fourth
through eighth grade students take part in handson projects with real world applications, bringing
STEM subjects to