The StFX Department of Earth and Environmental Science hosted the outreach activity.
"Over the course of the summer, we successfully hosted 91 participants from Grades 1-8, plus one Grade Primary student, throughout six weeks of four-day camps, covering a wide range of topics related to earth and environmental science," says camp director and StFX lab instructor Stephanie MacIntyre.
"Overall, it was a fun-filled and exciting summer. Kids were engaged in the hands-on experiments, science demonstrations, and outdoor play. While the heat and dry weather posed challenges, we found a way to get outside every single day to run around and burn off energy. By the end of each week, connections had been built amongst campers, and conversations with families showed that what the campers were learning about each day was sinking in."
StFX department chair Dr. Jamie Braid oversaw the camp, senior lab instructor Colette Rennie led development of camp activities, and student leaders included Cassie Clarke, Charlie MacDonald, Jack Stinchcombe, and Hannah Boegel.
ADD TO OUTREACH
Ms. MacIntyre says the idea for hosting a camp such as this originated last year to add to the department's community outreach.
"We looked at the success of other science camps on campus and we were fortunate enough to have Jenn Fraser of X-Chem share her experience and advice as we developed our programming," she says. "One of our goals was to increase general awareness of the earth sciences, and foster science literacy."
Over the past year, a substantial amount of effort went in to developing, organizing, and running this program, and all that work made for an intensive yet rewarding summer, she says.
"Seeing campers make connections to what we were talking about and even bring in their own mineral or fossil samples to show their peers was awesome. The camp also served as a great teaching and learning opportunity for our students, giving them the chance to showcase their knowledge and interests by sharing that passion with local youth."
GROW PERSONALLLY AND PROFESSIONALLY
StFX education student Cassie Clark worked as a student camp leader. She says it felt like a dream summer job.
"Overall, this camp allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. I developed stronger communication, collaboration, and classroom management skills while working alongside a supportive team and adapting to the diverse needs of our campers," she says.
"The kids we had this summer were wonderful, they were curious, engaged, and eager to learn. Hearing the positive feedback from parents during pick-up and drop-off was also very rewarding, especially when they shared how much fun their child was having and how excited they already were to return next summer. Knowing that we were creating meaningful and memorable learning experiences for them was very fulfilling."
Ms. Clark says as someone who completed an undergraduate degree in English and sociology, the camp also broadened her own skills. "This experience not only allowed me to build my own understanding of science but also showed me how to teach it effectively to students of various ages. I have gained so much confidence in teaching science and even developed a genuine interest for it, which was sparked by my two co-workers in the earth science program as they took the time to help me learn and understand."
Ms. MacIntyre says they were fortunate to get a grant from the Atlantic Geoscience Society to help purchase materials for the pilot program. They're currently exploring funding options to see what the future of the camp looks like, but they are hopeful they can find a way to continue offering some sort of geoscience outreach.
