FROM ROBOTS TO OUTERSPACE – ONE SOUTH FLORIDA CAMP HAS IT ALL
South Florida Science Center announces Science Summer Camp and NEW Robotics Boot Camp
(West Palm Beach, FL) Small-scientists need not travel too far for big returns in science exploration this summer, as the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium has announced plans for its annual Science Summer Camp. Beginning on June 9 and offering 10-weeks of discovery, the camp is open to children ages 4 – 12, with each week offering a different theme. Taking place simultaneously to camp this summer is a new and very special Robotics Boot Camp crash course, aimed at “Einsteins” ages 9 – 14.
Will drones really deliver packages to your home one day? Or will ‘Rosie’ from the Jetsons be a common household commodity? According to recent Science Center benefit speaker, Steve ‘Woz’ Wozniak, robots are the wave of the future. In a recent visit to South Florida, he shared with the Science Center’s loyal supporters that he envisions a future where robots are created to help humans, and the Science Center took this message to heart.
“We are very enthusiastic about the creation of the new Robotics Boot Camp,” said Lew Crampton, Science Center CEO. “We know that the most lucrative future jobs are focused on science, technology, engineering and math and you never know what exposure to science will get a kid excited about it as a career. Our camps are designed to ‘open every mind to science’ – all while having fun in a safe and educational environment where future engineers, marine scientists, CSI crime lab directors and even archeologists can experiment while developing their interests and talents.”
Taking place the week of June 23, concurrently with regular Science Summer Camp, the Robotics Boot Camp will encourage teamwork, individual programming skills, problem solving and engineering. Open to children specifically ages 9 – 14, Robotics Boot Camp gives young engineers the opportunity to construct and program robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology while having tons of fun along the way. Campers will be encouraged to compete, challenge and smash their peers during this crash course in programming.
Science Summer Camp themes include Sea-fari; Mission Space; Construction Junction; Dino-Mite; Kitchen Chemistry; Operation: You; Mad Scientist; Up, Up & Away; and Science Stew. Each week features a different theme with tons of hands-on science exploration. The days will fly-by as children assume the roles of astronaut, chef, paleontologist or oceanographer; guided by Science Center expert educators.
All campers will also have an opportunity to experience the Science Center’s current exhibition, Mazes, which is on display through September 14, 2014. The exhibition winds its way over 9,000 square-feet with more than 60 puzzles, and leads guests on an adventure through a series of interactive brain-teasers, 3-D puzzles and full body games. In addition to Mazes, the Science Center features an 8,000 gallon fresh and salt water aquarium with local and exotic marine life, a digital planetarium, conservation research station, Florida exhibit hall and an interactive Everglades exhibit.
Science Summer Camp is held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with extended hours of structured activities available from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for an additional $35 fee. Science Summer Camp is $210 for Science Center members and $235 for non-members per week and Palm Beach County School District employees are eligible to receive a 20% discount. For questions, more information, or to register, as space is limited, visit: www.sfsciencecenter.org/camp, call: 561-832-2026 or email: [email protected]. The South Florida Science Center and Aquarium is located at 4801 Dreher Trail North; West Palm Beach, FL 33405.
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Additional details about each week of Science Summer Camp:
June 9 – 13 Sea-fari – Go on a Sea-fari to explore what lies beneath the ocean floor. Travel to the fastest growing forest in the world – kelp forests. Learn about ocean animals by dissecting perch fish and squid, petting marine specimens and feeding echinoderms. Decorate your own hermit crab shell, and make your own ocean in a bottle during this week of marine fun.
June 16 – 20 Mission Space – It’s one giant leap for camper-kind on a mission to all things space. Build your own space station after traveling to the International Space Station in our Planetarium. Take a closer look at the stars and constellations in the Milky Way galaxy. Create your own constellation, glittery moon rock and robotic rover.
June 23 – 27 Construction Junction – Calling all Engineers! Put your skills to the test as you use simple classroom materials to create a model city complete with bridges, tunnels, and skyscrapers. Use your problem solving skills to figure out how to make a car powered by a balloon; test the strength of your spaghetti and toothpick bridge; and create other crazy contraptions.
June 23 – 27 Robotics Boot Camp – Robot enthusiasts and LEGO builders ages 9-14 are invited to enlist in this hands-on Boot Camp. Robotics Boot Camp gives young engineers the opportunity to construct and program robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology while having tons of fun along the way. Get ready to compete, smash, and challenge your peers during this exciting week of camp!
June 30 – July 3 Dino-Mite – T-rex, Pterodactyls, and Brachiosaurs are only a few of the dinos you’ll meet this week. Discover why some dinosaurs had scales, long necks, or could fly. Explore the differences between meat and plant eating dinosaurs, examine authentic dinosaur fossils and make some of your own. Come face to face with their closest living relatives during this Dino-Mite week of camp!
July 7 – 11 Kitchen Chemistry – Spend a week in the kitchen as you learn how chemistry affects our everyday lives. Churn your own butter, freeze fruit without a freezer, make rock candy, and use simple machines to launch marshmallows. Bring your appetite for a fun-filled week of food!
July 14 – 18 Operation: You – What is your liver used for? How much does your brain weigh? Why do we blink? What makes us sneeze? All these questions will be answered this week as you explore the wonders inside the human body! Travel inside your body to look at your own cells and DNA. Activities include designing your own working heart pump, dissecting an anole and a large bull frog to learn about anatomy, creating edible DNA and much more!
July 21 – 25 Mad Scientist – Put on your safety goggles and lab coats and mix up crazy chemical concoctions and mysterious mixtures. This week is all about making things fizz, pop and ooze! Make your own bouncy balls, dry ice bubbles, fizzy bath bombs, and colorful milk explosions. We hope you don’t mind getting messy…this camp has it all!
July 28 – Aug 1 Space Odyssey – Explore the solar system during this week of camp and discover asteroids and comets as they race through space. Learn how microgravity affects astronauts in space when you visit the Planetarium. Make a Bernoulli ball and design your own rocket to launch in the air. Create your own planet while learning about the wonders of the world we live in.
August 4 – 8 Up, Up & Away – Discover the science behind what makes airplanes fly, trains chug, and cars drive! Explore why boats float but submarines sink. Make your own solar powered and balloon powered car. From planes to tractors, boats, and even a train car, you will investigate these wild rides!
August 11 – 15 Science Stew – This week is the exclamation point of summer camp! Don’t miss out on all the coolest science experiments and labs the Science Center has to offer. Our ‘Stew’ will satisfy your hunger for all things science.