A Summer Where STEM Comes to Life
At The Fresh Air Fund’s sleepaway camps, STEM comes to life! Campers engage in hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics activities that are fun, inspire curiosity and spark new interests. Camp activities are enriched with real-world topics like biology and engineering, preparing campers for the future in ways that feel empowering and exciting.
Visiting the Planetarium and Stargazing
“I love going to the planetarium and learning about the different planets because it feels like you’re actually in space when they turn off the lights,” said Madison, 10.
Angie, 10, who shared that camp has made her more independent, loves learning about science. “I’m excited to stargaze and learn about constellations and how each one is different. I live in the city and there aren’t many stars there because of light pollution.”
Building and Coding Robots
Campers at Camp Mariah let curiosity and innovation guide them as they solve complex problems in robotics class. Campers experiment with powering LED lights, building circuit boards and learning how to use software to program their own robots.
“I was most excited about robotics class,” said Joshua, 11, who attended Camp Mariah for the first summer last year. “Coming to camp is really inspiring.”
Learning How to Solve Engineering Problems Together
Hidden Valley campers worked together in teams to use pipes, fittings, wheels and axels to design and build cars and race against other teams. Campers learn how to work together, test out their designs, make adjustments and solve problems on the fly.
“My favorite memory from camp is when we successfully built a car as part of a team building activity. It was challenging, but we were able to race our car without it falling apart,” said Oliver, 11.
Oliver shared that this activity helped him learn how to share ideas, collaborate with other campers and get help from his friends and counselors.
Exploration and Discovery in Nature
“Something that surprised me was when we made a volcano in science. It was really fun,” said Aiden. “I also learned how to make a catapult in engineering with just sticks, a spoon and rubber bands.”
Raheem, 9, loves coming to camp to learn about the wildlife and the different fruits and vegetables at the Camp Model Farm. “There are a lot more trees, more plants, and a lot more animals than at home. And we get to learn about all of them.”
“I’ve been catching worms! They taught us how to find worms in the garden and I’ve been doing it ever since. It’s so much fun!” said Derrick, 11.
Fresh Air Fund campers learn important STEM skills while having fun, spending time outdoors and trying new things. From stargazing to robotics and engineering, there is always something new to discover at camp!
To learn more about The Fresh Air Fund’s camps, visit here.
