Location: All Kanawha County Summer Camps will be at the University of Charleston.
Ages: Grades listed include the grade the student will be during the 2022-2023 school year.
Camps are supported through a collaborative network including: West Virginia Science Adventures, National Youth Science Foundation, and the Division of Science, Technology, and Research, WV Higher Education Policy Commission.
Camp costs: All camps at this location are all full day (9:00-4:00) Monday-Friday camps with snacks and lunch provided. These camps are possible due to generous support from the National Youth Science Foundation so there is no tuition for these. If you get into one of these camps we will email you and ask for a $25 registration fee due within 2 weeks of the email to hold your child’s seat. If you qualify for a full scholarship (see scholarship tab) your registration fee will be refunded on the last day of the camp if your child attended the entire camp. During registration for these camps please rank your children’s camp picks if they are interested in more than one (we will try to give top pick, but these are first come/first served so this may not always be possible). Typically we give two full scholarships per child and if there are remaining seats after our May 16th deadline we may award additional camps.
Registration: You can register for these camps here: Kanawha County Registration.
June 6-10
Minecraft Journey to Japan
Grades 4-9, Camp size TBA, , Monday-Friday from 9:00-4:00, lunch and snacks are included
Learn coding, geometry, and world-building for Minecraft while immersed in Japanese language and culture. Leader educators will be Marshall Japanese Professor Dr Zeli Rivas and Terry Dillman, science teacher at the STEM+M High School.
June 13-17
Paws, Scales, and Tails
Grades 4-9, Camp size 16, Monday-Friday from 9:00-4:00, lunch and snacks are included
Participants will get a hands-on approach to learning about animals both in captivity, and in their natural environment. This learning environment will create a lifelong link and respect of nature and animals of all kinds. The children will be submerged into the animal kingdom as they experience live educational animals shows from our professional educator. Campers will learn about and safely interact with each species at camp. Presentation topics include native species, defense mechanisms, predator vs prey relationships, conservation and endangered species, evolution, and more! This will create a greater passion for wildlife in the life of your child. They will also get to interact with local shelter animals and learn about what it takes to run a shelter and why outreach is important to get those animals adopted! Great for kids who want to be vets or in conservation fields. Melanie Browning, Marshall University Biological Sciences Graduate student, will be the lead instructor.
June 27-July 1
Molecular Biology: Life at the Cellular Level
Grades 5-10, Camp size 16, , Monday-Friday from 9:00-4:00, lunch and snacks are included
Be a scientist for a week! Work in a real laboratory investigating cells and the molecules found inside them. Do fun, hand-on experiments in Molecular Biology to learn how DNA, proteins and other molecules keep our cells working. This will be a great introduction to biomedical and health-related science. If you might be interested in becoming a doctor, vet, or research scientist, this camp is for you. This class will be taught by Marshall Biological Sciences Professor (and mom) Dr. Wendy Trzyna.
July 11-15
LEGOs, Robotics, 3D Printing, and Drones
Grades 6-10, Camp size 12, Monday-Friday from 9:00-4:00, lunch and snacks are included
Participants will learn computer coding via LEGOs and robotics, including building their own robots and running robots through obstacle courses and other coding exercises. Participants will also learn to use 3D printers, including laser engraving (participants will be able to bring some custom printed material home!). And weather permitting, participants will learn the basics of drone piloting and some of the applications of this new and exciting technology! Long time camp robotic coach and Ohio University student Jordan Holman will be leading this fun camp.
July 25-29
Cybersecurity
Grades 7-12, camp size 16, , Monday-Friday from 9:00-4:00, lunch and snacks are included
These camps have been designed by the Air Force’s Cyberpatriot program to teach beginner students the basics of cybersecurity. No prior cybersecurity knowledge is required for participants. The schedule for this camp includes: Monday: Introduction to the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, introduction to cybersecurity & careers, cyber ethics, online safety, how computers work, virtual machines, and cyber threats. Tuesday: Cybersecurity principles, basic Windows security policies and tools, account management, windows file protections, and auditing and monitoring. Students will follow along and work with the Windows 10 demonstration image. Wednesday: Introduction to Linux, Ubuntu 18 terminology and concepts, basic GUI security, and intro to CLI. Students will follow along and work with the Ubuntu 18 demonstration image. Thursday: Basic command line security and intermediate Ubuntu security. Students will follow along and work with the Ubuntu 18 demonstration image. Friday – CyberPatriot competition day. Students will compete against their fellow campers on Windows 10 and Ubuntu 18 competition images.