COSAM News Articles 2024 01 Science Matters Summer Enrichment Program Ignites Curiosity

Science Matters Summer Enrichment Program Ignites Curiosity

Published: 07/30/2024

The COSAM STEM Outreach Center concluded its Science Matters summer enrichment program with a week of learning how STEM can help you survive in the wilderness. Students utilized math, engineering and biological knowledge to build shelters, purify water and employ natural resources for basic survival needs. Our youngest campers even helped Aubie navigate through encounters with wild animals (other university mascots) as he survived in the wilderness.

Science Matters is a dynamic summer academy designed to educate and inspire students in grades one through seven that has become a university tradition and coveted community camp. This enriching experience offers an immersive, hands-on educational opportunity for exposure to various scientific disciplines. The curriculum changes annually for broader disciplinary exposure.

Led by experienced educators and supported by teachers in training at the College of Education, the camp provides a nurturing environment for children to explore various STEM fields in a safe, engaging space. Questions are encouraged and hands get dirty in these immersive, week-long camps. Auburn University faculty and graduate students also share their expertise with campers through a variety of field trips that include lab space tours, demonstrations and hands-on experimentation.

“Science Matters was one of the most interesting teaching sessions I’ve ever conducted,” said Akila Abesinghe, a graduate student in biological sciences, that instructed students on organ classification through an interactive visit with Pearl the SynDaver and bone identification with a skeleton in the biological sciences laboratory.

“Teaching kids is both challenging and incredibly rewarding. They ask a lot of smart questions, often surpassing those from college students in my regular anatomy lab sessions. This age is the best time to spark an interest in science. I believe that kids everywhere need these opportunities to inspire them to pursue higher education and understand what happens at universities,” stated Abesinghe.

In addition to anatomy, a variety of other topics were covered at Science Matters, throughout its six camp weeks, including animals, STEM in stories, engineering in movies, chemistry, natural history and physics. Campers gain practical skills through experiments and projects designed to enhance their understanding of scientific principles and real-world applications.

"Science Matters nurtures a child’s natural curiosity and appreciation for STEM topics," added Dr. Jess Gilpin, assistant director of the STEM Outreach Center. "By combining academic rigor with hands-on experiences, we hope to inspire a child’s natural curiosity about STEM topics. One day, these youth will make meaningful scientific contributions and that passion starts with an enjoyable and memorable experience outside the traditional classroom."

The Science Matters Summer Enrichment Program ran 26 camps that offered 464 seats to 272 unique campers from June 3 to July 19 at Auburn University. Interested families are encouraged to visit the program website at www.auburn.edu/sciencematters for more information and registration details on next year’s camps.