What do paper airplanes, Lego robots and aqua divers have in common? They're fun and they teach kids important lessons about science and technology.
From July 19 to 23, nearly 40 students took part in the University of Saskatchewan's SCI-FI Science Camp in North Battleford.
The not-for-profit science camps were created in 1989 by undergraduate engineering students, and are still taught by volunteer university students.
In Saskatoon, the summer camps are offered in five categories: science, technology, health science, computer science and veterinary medicine.
In satellite locations across Saskatchewan, such as North Battleford, Lloydminster and Kindersley, the camp programs feature projects from the science, technology and computer science fields.
In North Battleford, two such camps were offered.
Camp Bragg, for students in Grades 3 to 5, is named after father and son physicists, Sir William Henry Bragg and Sir William Lawrence Bragg, who developed Bragg's Law, used by scientists examining patterns within crystals with x-rays. This year Camp Bragg was taught by Byron Mikituk and Terra Lekach.
Camp Maxwell, for students in Grades 6 to 9, is named after James Clerk Maxwell, a 19th century mathematician and physicist who developed a series of equations dealing with electromagnetic theories. Camp Maxwell was taught by Sarah Hoppe, and Josh Leite, who has been involved with the science camps for over 10 years.
Leite attended science camp when he was younger, volunteered as a teaching assistant while in high school and volunteers as an instructor now that he is an undergraduate at U of S.
"I just can't get enough of it," said Leite. "It's a great time."
Leite and Hoppe explained the principles behind some of the projects. One project, a Simon Says computer game, involves adding components, such as LED lights and microchips, to a circuit board pre-laid with metal strips. In other projects, such as building hydraulic cranes, students are given a certain amount of paper money to buy components, which teaches them to work within a budget.
"We like to give them a taste of what it would actually be like to be an engineer," said Hoppe.
Since around half of the students end up returning in following years, the camps always feature new projects, although some projects are annual classics, such as the Lego robots and a unanimous favourite, the bridge building competition.
Students are given half an hour to build a bridge out of a set amount of popsicle sticks, yarn, glue and tape. But there's a catch - the bridge has to support the weight of an instructor.
"We end up breaking all the bridges," said Leite, "but the kids just love it."
