Registration is now open for the 2017 STEM Camp at Canter’s Cave 4-H Camp in Jackson, Ohio. Attending this camp may help your children or grandchildren decide what they want to be when they grow up. Do they want to be scientists, doctors, or engineers? What about farmers or video game designers? Maybe they want to work with animals? Or would they rather play with computers? A few days at STEM Camp may help them decide. And, they’ll have fun along the way!
Boys and girls currently in 5th through 7th grades from an eleven-county region in southern Ohio are invited to attend STEM Camp this summer. The region includes Adams, Brown, Gallia, Jackson, Highland, Lawrence, Meigs, Pike, Ross, Scioto, and Vinton counties. The camp is being planned and implemented by OSU Extension professionals from several of these counties. Both 4-H and non-4-H youth are invited to attend.
The camp will begin after lunch on Monday, June 5, and end late morning on Wednesday, June 7. It will be held at the Elizabeth L. Evans Outdoor Education Center/Canter’s Cave 4-H Camp in Jackson, Ohio. The camp is an ideal setting for such a program, offering an abundance of natural resources and traditional camp activities. During the three-day, two night camp, participants will participate in both special workshops focused on STEM and in some of those traditional camp activities – with a STEM twist.
What's STEM? It stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. But, this camp won't feel the least bit like school. Participants will select two STEM areas to explore in-depth. Choices include Aeronautics and Space, Robotics, Environmental Science, Food Science, Animal Science, Life Science, Engineering, Digging Up History, and Forensic Science. Participants will do lots of hands-on activities and learn about careers in the field. They'll also enjoy team building "engineering" challenges, explore the night sky, and have some fun during a traditional campfire. And, they may have to learn something about food science as they work together to prepare their evening snacks. This year’s camp will also feature a visit from Ohio State’s Dr. Bob (a science guy) and an opportunity to build their own Rube Goldberg machine.
The camp is open to both 4-H and non-4-H members. The fee to participate in STEM Camp is only $50 per camper for Adams County 4-H members and $70 for non-4-H members. The Adams County 4-H Advisory Committee offers a $20 per member scholarship to reduce the cost of camp for 4-H’ers. All Adams County Year 7 4-H Tech Wizards will receive an additional grant-funded scholarship of $25, further reducing the cost. Registrations will be accepted from February 1 until the camp capacity of 90 campers is reached or until May 1, whichever comes first. Registered youth will receive additional information and forms through the mail which will need to be completed and returned prior to the start of camp.