As Summer 2021 comes to a close, campers prepare to pack up their bags with belongings as well as knowledge while wondering about their next post-camp adventure. When experiencing change, Sci-Tech welcomes them with wow-moments, transition hats, and encouragement to be curious about what lies ahead. Curiosity (sakranut) is one of Sci-Tech’s five values and is as much a part of Sci-Tech’s universe as Boker Big Bang or Workshops. Campers emerge into the world realizing that curiosity is not just a value but a building block of what makes Sci-Tech home. From building a robot to designing a video game to embracing a passion for science and Judaism, campers emerge from the Sci-Tech bubble having asked questions about the world in more ways than one!
Curiosity at camp is seen through our campers’ eagerness to learn, explore, and build on what is already known in order to take that learning into the future. During the last week of the summer, it’s expected we might be curious about what parts of Sci-Tech we can bring home with us. Some of the wonders of Sci-Tech, from Boker Big Bang experiments to the tingling feeling of hearing the Sun Song on Opening Day and being surrounded daily by your camp community, cannot be emulated at home.
Camper Sela N. reads her speech at Session 2 Tech Talks on bringing camp home.
However, the heart of camp carries throughout the year, anchored in the home created by our community over the summer. A fundamental aspect of Sci-Tech style sakranut is realizing that two things that seem opposite actually aren’t all that separate from one another! After the summer we bring home with us the knowledge that science and Judaism work together. Sci-Tech helps us see science and Judaism as partners that work together to weave this beautiful community, and we know that the moments of “WOW” when you discover something new travel beyond the Byfield bubble.
Sakranut at Sci-Tech does not just encourage exploration surrounding STEM, but about themselves as well. In addition to packing up their things and their knowledge, campers also bring home a new sense of confidence in what they are capable of and how to show up in the world as leaders and multifaceted individuals. Campers return home not only with newfound knowledge about science and technology, but also knowing more about the unique gifts, values, and questions they individually bring to the world.
To the campers from this summer, thank you for bringing your curiosity to Byfield and creating room for exploration! We cannot wait to see how the excitement that was sparked here at Sci-Tech impacts the rest of the world.
