“Ignite Your Imagination”

 

Little Sparks STEAM Camp, July 25-29, 2022

The Little Sparks Summer STEAM Camp, hosted by the LUNATECS in conjunction with United Advocacy Group, took place at the ALM Center in Bridgeton from July 25th to the 29th. Campers spent the week participating in a variety of hands-on activities intended to ignite a love for technology and STEM-based learning that will last a lifetime.

Campers rotated through five classrooms each day. Art class included an “all about me” collage, paper mache seed pods, color wheel, and miniature masterpieces. “Super-Cool Science” brought exciting projects like elephant toothpaste, popsicle stick flashlights, and magnetic or glow-in-the dark slime. Our Transportation station saw campers building paddle boats, paper airplanes, LEGO wind racers, and balloon rockets. During the week’s technology classes, campers used Scratch to program their own video game and built and programmed robots using LEGO WeDo kits. Many of our campers considered these experiences the highlight of their week.

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The Little Sparks Summer STEAM Camp

Campers also participated in engineering challenges like a DIY catapult, toothpick structures, a space lander, and a perch for a new friend named Harry. The catapult was so popular, the campers chose to rebuild it on subsequent days once their other lessons were done.  In addition, we were happy to once again host several guest speakers throughout the week. On Tuesday we were treated to a bike safety presentation and every camper was sent home with a properly fitted bike helmet. We had a guest lecturer teach the campers how to make ice cream in a bag on Wednesday, while the Littoral Society provided an engaging and interactive marine biology presentation on Thursday.

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Campers enjoyed building and programming

WeDo robots

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Tackling engineering challenges and playing around

with the LUNATECS robot

A highlight of the Friday program was a demonstration of the LUNATECS championship robot. The campers had a blast playing “catch” with the robot and even watching it score a basket! At the end of the final day, parents were invited to explore some the projects their children worked on during the week and get an up-close look at the robot.  The team conducted a survey on Friday and students were asked about their favorite parts of camp. While the programming and WeDo robots were tops on many lists, others appreciated meeting new people, building and engineering projects, playing with LEGOS, and being able to see the robot. Little Sparks Camp is truly a special place.

Little Sparks STEAM Camp 2022

SJ Robotics