Sylcott provides STEM enrichment for Bethel youth

The ECU Center for STEM Education strongly believes in improving science enrichment opportunities and STEM access for students across North Carolina. ECU faculty are equally committed to providing opportunities for students in eastern North Carolina who may otherwise miss out on valuable programming. Dr. Brian Sylcott, associate professor in the Department of Engineering, takes this ethos one step further, into the neighboring town of Bethel.

Since January 2025, Sylcott has designed and led weekly lessons at the Bethel Youth Activity Center (BYAC), a proud program of the Center for Science, Technology, and Leadership Development. Founded by Dr. Garrie Moore, the BYAC offers high-quality, engaging STEM programming and curricular support for students in and around Bethel. The BYAC impacts students daily, supporting their needs and curiosity through structured after-school programs. Through hands-on activities, Sylcott has made foundational science concepts, engineering, circuits, robotics and programming accessible for kindergarten through eighth grade students.

Sylcott credits an electronics class in high school for kicking off his interest in engineering, while teaching experience throughout his graduate education further helped him realize a path forward in academia as a faculty member. As a professor dedicated to hands-on, inquiry-based learning in his classes, Sylcott finds students’ interest and excitement to be one of the most rewarding aspects of his experience with the BYAC program.

Not only do these weekly lessons involve science engagement, but also career exploration. During one week’s session, students learned about drafting as a career path, participating in a simulated technical drawing exercise to further their understanding.

“It has been incredibly fulfilling to broaden students’ perspectives and introduce them to possibilities they may not have previously considered,” Sylcott said.

This was especially true during an upper-elementary STEM sports camp the BYAC staff led over the summer. Students spent the morning session learning tennis, a new sport to many, and the afternoon connecting their experiences to underlying science concepts. For one student who had not considered attending college as an option, this camp marked an important moment, kindling a lifelong curiosity and a committed interest in pursuing a university degree. The consistent and passionate work of Sylcott and the BYAC continue to inspire Pitt County students, encouraging them to envision themselves as future STEM innovators.

Exciting components of many of Dr. Sylcott’s lessons are found on the shelves of the STEM Center’s Lending Library. Snap Circuits, consumable materials for balloon race cars, and block coding Indi cars are just a few of the innovative STEM technologies available for any educator to borrow without charge at the STEM Center. The center’s Lending Library and events aim to improve accessibility and enhance science education opportunities for students across the eastern part of the state. Sylcott’s incorporation of center materials into his meaningful lessons at the BYAC continues to bring hands-on science education to underrepresented students in the area.