SDSU Launches Kids Science Camp
In Aztec Science Camp, kids ages 6 to 11 will explore topics ranging from rocks to robots.
This summer San Diego State University is hosting its first-ever science day camp for kids. Each Aztec Science Camp session, is five days of science and discovery for kids ages 6 to 11.
Donna Ross, a founder of the science camp, shared, “The demand for individuals with strong STEM knowledge is exploding. We are thrilled to support this goal by providing fun, hands-on science learning experiences for local children on SDSU’s campus. We hope to develop children’s passion for science while offering teachers extraordinary opportunities to explore best science teaching ideas.”
Aztec Science Camp was conceived and developed by SDSU professors to expose kids to science and develop their curiosity about the world around them. The program received support from SDSU’s Mathematics and Science Teacher Initiative, the President’s Leadership Fund, and the Center for Teaching Critical Thinking and Creativity.
During the camp, youngsters will investigate subjects from rocks to robots, with adventures at facilities on SDSU’s campus.
“Campers will experience the fun and engagement science offers, with counselors and teachers who have a passion for and deep knowledge of science,” said Ross, an associate professor in SDSU’s School of Teacher Education.
Topics will vary so that children can attend for up to three weeks and engage with new ideas about science each week. Camps include Bright Ideas, about light and optics in which kids may make telescopes or kaleidoscopes; Kooky Contraptions, where kids will be eco-engineers, turning “trash” into “treasures;” and Plug into Science, focused on magnets and electricity.
The camp director is an experienced K-12 science teacher; the lead teachers are completing SDSU’s teacher credential program and have demonstrated a passion for science; and camp counselors are science and engineering students from SDSU.
Campers participating in this program will explore science content as described in the Next Generation Science Standards. They will engage in science and engineering practices as they plan and conduct investigations.
Camp details
There will be three sessions offered this summer — July 21 to 25, July 28 to August 1 and August 4 to 8. Camp runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with extended care available in the mornings and afternoons.
Registration is now open. The cost is $275 per child, per session with a discount for additional children from the same household. For complete details or to register your child, visit the camp website.
