Today was our very first trip day! As a specialty camp, our trip days are designed to give campers new opportunities and experiences with their camp friends that relate to their workshop of choice (robotics, astrophysics, robotics, or roller coaster physics!). Each workshop went to an educational and exciting location – from Cal Tech to Six Flags!
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a NASA research center based at California Institute of Technology, boasts a variety of deep space successes, from the successful launch of the first spacecraft to orbit another planet to the design and build of the Curiosity Mars rover. JPL is known for its work with robotics and rockets – the perfect place for both our robotics workshop and astrophysics workshop to visit. Campers learned about where in our solar system other life could exist, the successful launches of a variety of interplanetary probes, and saw the clean room where the Mars 2020 rover is being built. They ended their day at the Discovery Cube LA, a science museum filled with hands-on activities and fun exhibits.
Our Roller Coaster Physics workshop went to – you guessed it – Six Flags Magic Mountain today. They rode a variety of coasters, including Viper and Goliath, and analyzed the different parts of the coasters they rode. This includes the number of loops on each roller coaster, the rider experience, top speed, and momentum needed to keep the passenger cars going. This experience will inform their final projects as they build their own roller coasters on camp using rubber track and a coaster app. They will analyze the coasters they build, too, for top speed, number of loops, and the momentum needed to build on a decline in order to make it back up the next incline.
In Video Game Design, we learn that all games have a similar foundation and a desired user experience. For this trip day, our VGD workshop went to Gamehaus, a game café featuring HUNDREDS of games, from monopoly to lords of waterdeep. Campers got to spend the day playing any game they choose and discussed how this informed the video games that they’re designing at camp for our end of session festivities (we call it “Sci-Fest”).
Our time off camp reminds us how special it is to spend time with our new like-minded friends and how precious our shared experiences are. With only less than a week left of session 1, we’re excited for the rest of the time we get to spend together creating, exploring, and connecting.