Displayed is Sears Planetarium held within the Sundquist Science Complex. Photo taken by Ricky Birchfield I The All State.
Has your kid ever dreamed about what is beyond the night sky?
Austin Peay State University is ready to blast off with its latest science-themed summer camp, the Space Explorer Camp, which runs from June 12-16.
Ran by Dr. J Allyn Smith and Spencer Buckner of the APSU Department of Physics, Engineering, and Astronomy, campers can be expected to learn about planets, stars, and what is in our sky while engaging in numerous activities such as telescope building and more.
Information about the following event was gathered from the College of Stem by Mary Biggers and additionally attributed by Dr. Karen Meisch, dean of the College of STEM, and the driving force behind these camps.
The information provided by Mary Biggers and Dr. Karen Meisch said, “Part of our mission as a university is to be a community partner, and we are offering these camps to build the relationship. Specifically, there is a dire need for students to go into STEM areas, and we are trying to instill the love for and curiosity at a young age in hopes that they will continue to pursue STEM interests as they get older. We also saw a need to offer STEM camps for parents to have more options for summer.”
STEM translates to the real world, as it teaches more than simple mathematics and science concepts. With a focus on hands-on learning with real-world applications, people can be expected to learn skills that translate to other areas.
A good place to start is with young children.
This camp aims to draw more young children into STEM. Mary Biggers and Dr. Karen Meisch said their goals with the camp are, “One: to help foster the curiosity when kids are at this age to give them fun ways to learn about different areas of science; and two: this age group was specifically targeted because research shows this is the age that particularly girls are encouraged to study other areas, and our hope is that they will be exposed to the idea of pursuing a STEM education.”
The camp will be held from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. each day. The overall cost for the week is a total payment of $300 which includes supplies, snacks, and lunches. The deadline to make the full payment is May 15, 2023. No installments can be made due to the university’s payment system.
While the Space Explorer Camp and Earth Explorer are only offered in the summer, there is an additional option for coding camps. More information about the 2023 camps can be found here.
