Studying science often involves experimentation and hands-on work, both in the classroom and during summer programs. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) camps are known for enriching learning by adding field trips, play, outdoor exploration, and more to their sessions, guaranteeing a fun experience.
Additionally, interacting with the environment helps children develop crucial skills, including creativity, confidence, and curiosity.
Erynn DeGennaro, associate director of summer and youth programs at the Delaware Nature Society (DelNature) in Milford, emphasizes that camps help children build diverse skills, whether it’s by sweeping through grass to find insects, making rock crystals, performing biological tests on lake water, or kayaking.
“Science is ingrained in everything that we do; we’re an educational organization. In all our camps, we want campers—and hopefully their parents and families—to have left feeling a sense of connection to the natural world,” she says.
The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science in Wilmington offers camp sessions to complement their exhibits. These include programs on the ocean, the weather, the TV series “Grossology,” dinosaurs, and the senses. This allows campers to physically explore each subject in depth.
The museum’s camp and scouts manager, Jennifer Reynolds, establishes activities to supplement topics taught in schools. “I’m aware of what’s going on in the big world and adapting while making sure that we have fun in our adventures of getting to know each other and learning about the natural world,” she says.
Delaware Technical Community College (Del Tech) uses its three campuses to offer interesting summer STEM programs.
“The hope is that a student experiences this fun, engaging opportunity, learns more about a certain topic, gets inspired, decides to go to college, and gets this amazing career because they started in summer camps. And we do see that,” says Erin E. Schutt, Del Tech workforce development and community education operations manager.
By utilizing higher education resources and partnerships, each session includes accomplished instructors and quality materials. Campers can explore general subjects, such as volcanoes, stars, and rockets, or participate in specialty experiences that uncover the scientific elements of “Harry Potter” and “Jurassic World.”
The hope is that a student experiences this fun, engaging opportunity, learns more about a certain topic, gets inspired, decides to go to college, and gets this amazing career because they started in summer camps.
Schutt says Del Tech adds to their syllabus every year to build students’ background knowledge. “There’s a lot of themes and topics that a student might learn about in the summertime, so they’re prepared and ready for the fall,” she says.
At DelNature, campers can meet with professionals in the science industry and visit their workplaces. A field trip last year included a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo and observing environmental advocates and geologists. Del Tech invites instructors from their partnerships with health care agencies and dance academies.
The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science shows children around the exhibits to encourage questions and deeper understanding of specific topics. If discussing creatures of the sea, Reynolds says, she can take campers to the Delaware seashore replica to interact with a horseshoe crab.
“I’m tickled to be providing this kind of joy and knowledge to our community,” Reynolds adds.
