Kids explore science, tech at local summer camps

Beginning Monday, July 8, the Pacific Science Center will kick off it’s Curious Minds summer program at St. Thomas School in Medina. The program will offer a variety of camps with a science and technology focus to Eastside students in grades K-8.

Beginning Monday, July 8, the Pacific Science Center will kick off it’s Curious Minds summer program at St. Thomas School in Medina. The program will offer a variety of camps with a science and technology focus to Eastside students in grades K-8.

Chris Sullivan, Interim Youth and Family Programs Manager, said the goal of these camps is to encourage inquiry based, student web learning in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education through an informal approach.

The variety of camp programs offered at the Medina location include: Kitchen Chemistry (K-1), Firefighter Academy (1-2), What’s Up Doc (2-4), Young Entrepreneurs (4-6), and Underwater Robotics (6-8).

As part of the program, campers will explore science fundamentals, new technologies and the natural world through hands-on experiments and workshops. Specifically, attendees will have the opportunity to create delicious experiments, see liquids change to solids in homemade ice cream, discover how scientists are using robotics to explore harsh habitats and analyze evidence in a lab – plus so much more.

Sullivan said the camp curriculum is developed based on current scientific trends, as well as suggestions from the different communities; in addition to hosting camps in Seattle and Medina, the program has expanded into Bothell, Redmond and Sammamish.

This summer marks the Science Center’s fifth year at St. Thomas. The LEED-certified facility also includes a science lab, technology center and open concept plazas, which enable students to investigate, imagine and create with their peers.

Camps are suitable for grades 1-8 and pricing vary between camps. To learn about the different camp options, and to register online, go HERE.