Tomball ISD Student Attends STEM Camp at Rice University

TOMBALL - Tomball ISD and Willow Wood Junior High student Anjani Malhotra was among a select group of elite students from around the state to attend the prestigious Tapia Say STEM Camp at Rice University. 

The camp, which is sponsored by ExxonMobil, is offered to rising 8th-12th graders and features a week-long residential experience with a challenging STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum. 

As a camper, Malhotra was able to experiment with hands-on STEM projects, like building miniature wind turbines out of household items including glue, cardstock and popsicle sticks. At the same time, she had the opportunity to enhance her communication skills by learning how to simplify complicated STEM ideas via graphic drawings and an end-of-camp oral presentation - all while experiencing life on Rice University’s campus. 

ABOUT THE TAPIA CENTER

The Richard Tapia Center for Excellence and Equity at Rice University was founded in 1995 to promote greater participation of underrepresented minorities and women in the sciences and engineering and empower them to be future leaders. The Center’s founder, Dr. Richard Tapia, is internationally known for his research in the computational and mathematical sciences and is a national leader in education and outreach. 

Since inception, the Tapia Center has provided direct training and guidance to more than 6,000 students and 2,500 teachers and educated nearly 250,000 students and professionals about the importance of diversity and representation. 

ABOUT TOMBALL ISD

Tomball ISD educates students to become responsible, productive citizens by providing innovative, individually rigorous, and personally valuable educational experiences. Founded in 1908, Tomball ISD now encompasses 83 square miles in northwest Harris County and southwest Montgomery County, and is located approximately 30 miles from downtown Houston. The district currently educates over 18,000 students at 20 campuses.