There are so many amazing workshops we offer at camp, and it’s hard – especially for our younger campers – to decide on one topic they want to commit to for two full weeks. It can also be challenging for our first-time campers to be away from home for two weeks, so for these reasons among others, we are excited to have created a new workshop for rising 4th and 5th graders called Taste of Camp: Discovery Lab.
In the Taste of Camp workshop, these younger campers get to quite literally take a “byte” of the range of exciting activities we enjoy at Sci-Tech. They are building logical robots with cubelets, filming stop motion videos, learning the science behind baking challah, and experiencing the community that Sci-Tech shapes through its dorm life, connection to Judaism, and the friendship in between.
“It’s incredible to help our youngest and newest campers discover their passions in STEM,” director Jayme Dale Mallindine said. “Exploration and curiosity are core elements of our camp community, and watching these newest youngest members learn about what forms of inquiry work for them is such a treat.”
“Not only are they discovering new things about STEM, but they’re also learning how magical it can be to be part of a community where they can connect with other kids who love the same types of questions and activities they do.”
The workshop is led by two members of our Camp Council – Sarah Kerstein Moreno and Dr. Sam Kazer – who are combining their professional careers in science and technology with their unfettered love for Jewish camp. Their hope is that these young campers can grow into camp over the next several years and begin to make an impact on the world through Judaism and STEM.
“I should not be surprised, but I’ve been super floored by the creativity and curiosity of our youngest campers,” Kazer said. “I hope that we are inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, teachers, and artists.”
As the Bytes campers welcome Shabbat this evening and prepare for their departure, smiles and energy can be seen from a mile away. In a few days, while they may be many miles away from camp, they will surely have had an experience they will never forget.