CHARLESTON, West Virginia — Rebecca “Becca” Dailey, a graduate of Dirigo High School, represented Maine at the National Youth Science Camp this summer.

Dirigo joined 108 other delegates from 50 states and eight countries in the annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) program. The camp, located in the Monongahela National Forest near Green Bank, integrates STEM presentations and hands-on activities with outdoor experiences and performing and applied arts.

For almost a month, delegates attend lectures by science industry leaders, engineers and researchers, and experience the outdoors through backpacking, caving, mountain biking and rock climbing.

The students are selected on merit, based on their achievements, with the program provided to them at no cost, including travel.

Dailey said, “NYSC is important because it brings together people from all over the country and world who are very different, but all share a common love for science. It has changed me to be more outgoing and to do things that I wouldn’t have necessarily done before I came to this camp.”

Dailey, of Carthage, plans to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the fall, majoring in architecture. She is interested in biking, camping, hiking, reading, running, sports and traveling. She is active in church, Scouts, cross country, soccer, softball, karate and dance. She graduated from Dirigo with honors, National Honor Society, Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award.

The National Youth Science Camp is operated by the National Youth Science Foundation.

FMI, apply: www.apply.nysc.org, www.nysf.com.

Becca Dailey