Science Camp

 

2013 Science Camps

Some of the most promising events involving the BSLC are the summer science camps. The science camps are week-long events designed to expose grade school students to many dimensions and fields of science.

Two types of camps are typically held: 

  • a commuter day camp, Camp Invention (1st - 6th graders) and
  • an overnight camp, Survivor (4th - 12th graders). 
  • Camp Invention is a week-long summer enrichment program for children entering grades one through six The Camp Invention program instills vital 21st century life skills such as problem-solving and teamwork through hands-on fun.
  • Survivor allows the students to stay in the dorms on campus. Survivor exposes the campers to different biological adventures. For example, they learn to work in teams and overcome fears on a ropes course at Challenge Country, learn survival skills in the woods, test the effectiveness of common household soaps in a microbiology lab, and spend a day canoeing and learning about the ecology of south Mississippi.

CAMP INVENTION: All NEW activities for 2013.

June 3 - 7, 2013    |    9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

  • Awaken your child's creative genius.  
  • Give your child an enriching experience they will love!   
  • Participants will become investigators, engineers, and scientists while creating inventions to solve exciting challenges.  
  • Experiment with STEM concepts (science, technology, engineering, and math) in four fun hands-on modules each day, presented by local teachers.

The Camp Invention program focuses on brain-powered activities and powerful projects thatenhance creativity, teamwork, and inventive-thinking skills.

Children entering grades one through six have fun as they participate daily in five activity-oriented modules promoting science, math, history, and the arts through creative problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Program Overview

  • The Camp Invention program is a weeklong summer enrichment program that partners with schools across the country to reinforce the traditional school year with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities through inquiry-based, hands-on activities.
  • Taught by local educators, each Camp Invention program consists of five modules, which comprise 32.5 hours of programming. Typically delivered in five consecutive 6.5-hour days, all five modules align with national and state education standards and are designed to meet the needs of varying age groups through primary and intermediate activities.

Camp Invention 2013: We introduce "The GEO-QUEST Program"

  • Expedition teams embark on a quest to explore the Earth in the sky, underwater, on land, and underground in the Ecoverse™ module. Throughout the journey, teams design and invent tools to reveal and retrieve the Earth’s hidden messages; deciphering nature’s patterns. As children master the elements, they earn glyphs and create an illustrated narrative for a petrosphere journal, their own ancient symbol of power and knowledge!
  • In the Cache Dash™ module, children are recruited to become global expedition team members. As part of their weeklong training, they must work in teams to navigate their way to treasure-filled caches. The caches contain virtual missions from youth around the globe challenging the trainees to invent solutions to real-world problems in France, Singapore, Honduras, Hawaii, Cuba and Sudan.
  • Expedition teams travel the globe to investigate five extremes of the natural world: heat, height, crystals, water, and cold in the Amazing Atlas™ module. Each day, teams interpret latitude and longitude on a world map to determine their adventure’s location.
  • In the I Can Invent: Launchitude™ module, expedition teams are challenged to launch international rubber ducks to their country origin and race to destroy competitor duck territory! Teams put physics (trajectory and velocity) into practical use as they take apart broken appliances and re-engineer the gears and gadgets, along with upcycled objects, to invent the ultimate Duck Chucking Device. Throughout the week, children will explore physics, entrepreneurship and invention though practical hands-on challenges.
  • The Geo-Games module combines physical activity and creativity. Children practice teamwork, cooperation, coordination and creative problem solving processes during fun, energetic games. Geo-Games activities embody the fact that all games can be modified with nontraditional approaches and made more exciting. Children create game pieces and sporting equipment from everyday items, employing the concept of upcycling. Together, they will fuse global games and classic high-energy activities. Like all Camp Invention modules, winning and losing isn’t important. Instead, this module stresses creative problem solving and encourages active physical participation that boosts self-confidence.

Age-appropriate:

Program participants are divided into age-appropriate groups that are each assigned an enthusiastic counselor to oversee and help engage them in the week’s activities.

Qualified educators:

Qualified, local educators facilitate the curricula, ensuring that a staff-to-child ratio of 1:8 is always maintained. Each day of the program week, children rotate through five integrated modules that employ creative thinking to solve real-world challenges.

Children learn vital 21st century life skills such as problem solving and teamwork through imaginative play. The program is directed by a Southern Miss biology educator, Michael Sellers, and taught by local top-notch educators.

Register today!  Visit the Camp Invention website.

For more information or to register: Go to www.campinvention.org or call 1-800-968-4332.  

2013 Camp Survivor:

Young Naturalist Camp  

  • June 16 – 21, 2013 [Rising 8th – 12th Graders]
  • June 23 – 28, 2013 [Rising 4th – 7th Graders]

Survivor participants will engage in different activities focused on a wide variety of nature and science topics.

Click here to see the 2013 Survivor Young Naturalist Camp flyer.

 



Encourage your child interested in science:

This is your chance to encourage your child who is interested in the natural sciences to attend an exciting summer program where they will gain leadership skills, take part in friendly competition and get a head start on preparing for college.

Registration for 2013 Survivor: 

usmsurvivor_2013_regform.pdf

To register for our summer camp, please complete the registration form and return it by May 31, 2013.

Send registration form to:  

    • J. Michael Sellers, Dept of Biological Sciences
    • Univ. of Southern Mississippi
    • 118 College Drive #5018
    • Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001

Cost: $315

The total cost of the program will include:

    • room,
    • board,
    • a t-shirt,
    • recreational activities and
    • limited accidental insurance.

Early Bird Discount: $AVE

Register by April 30th, 2013 to receive a $15 discount.

For questions, please email johnny.sellers@usm.edu or call (601) 266.6374.

For more information:

Please contact Michael Sellers at johnny.sellers@usm.edu

 

Past Camps

Survivor 2012  |  Young Naturalist Camp included hiking, zoo visits, and more.

Participants enjoyed canoeing the Black Creek, learning about marine ecology, hiking through the woods at the Lake Thoreau Environmental Center and going to the Hattiesburg Zoo. 

Survivor 2011  |  Forensic Files

Camp Invention 2012 | Envision 

In this 2012 program, children experienced five different modules.

  • In the Inventeureka™module, children ventured on the Ci6000 Space Modulator Time Machine for a fantasy adventure. Children built their own inventions and learned to adapt certain features for various situations.
  • Participants spent their time navigating an island via upcycled ships and learning the power of combining magnetism and electricity during theMagnetropolis™module.
  • In the I Can Invent: Balloon Burst™module, children learned to design balloon bursting machines, while learning the importance of gears, motors, springs, and magnets.
  • Finally, in theAction and Adventure Games™module, a participant favorite, children learned to combine physical activity and creativity during fun, energetic games. Games are based on children’s ages and ability.