Mad Scientist Adventures Camp presents students with scientific challenges

For Eadon Foster, a rising fourth grader at Gilbert W. McNeal Elementary, science ignited a passion in him he didn't know he possessed.

While he looked through a microscope at dandelions, fish scales and rabbit fuzz during the STEAM Kids of the Future Mad Scientist Adventures Week at Braden River Middle June 15-19, his excitement grew.

"I just love learning about such new things, things I never saw, never heard or never even felt in my life before," Foster said. "I love all sorts of things that you can actually sense without even seeing it. Things you can't see, but they're there. It fascinates me so much." 

Foster was among the campers who attended the camp. The campers were immersed in activities in engineering, biology, forensics, environmental science, space exploration and weather science.

"We want students to experience science the way scientists do," said Camp Director Brittany Dunfee. "That means getting their hands dirty, making mistakes, testing ideas, and discovering solutions for themselves."

On June 17, there were different rotations that focused on biology and environmental science: Microscope Lab, Animal Adaptation Challenge, Skull Investigation Station, Lego Habitat Engineering Challenge, Leaf Art Ecosystem Project, and an animal guessing game. 

Ellie Rimer, a rising sixth grader at Braden River Middle School, attended the camp for the first time and highly recommends it. 

One of the experiments they conducted was the oil spill challenge, where the campers worked in pairs to test different clean-up methods to remove oil from bird feathers and from the water.

"The activity introduced students to environmental engineering, conservation, pollution management and the challenges involved in protecting wildlife and ecosystems after environmental disasters," Dunfee said. "One of the things we emphasize throughout camp is that engineers solve problems that affect real people and real communities."