Keeping summer camps safe will be on the mind of every parent as they start thinking about where to send their children in the summer in 2021. And while no facility is ever one hundred percent (100%) completely safe there are many things a summer camp can do to eliminate risk during the time of the COVID pandemic. In this article I will talk about one of many changes that we have made.
Hands-on activities has always been part of the magic of summer camp at STEM Camp. It is a place where children have access to tons of supplies that are designed to help them in their quest to complete a project. This inquiry-based learning approach challenges campers with, for example, building a solar-powered car and providing them with the parts they need to accomplish this task. But instead of having them complete, step by step, the proper sequence to reach this goal (BORING) it is left to the imagination of the child to explore possibilities and create something all their own. A few simple instructions are provided of course and counsellors stand by ready to assist, however, it is a wondrous thing for a child’s sense of accomplishment to reach an end goal without much instruction. You should see the smiles on their faces when that car takes off for the first time!
How, though, can we keep summer camps safe when they are touching all that product?
Well, one thing we can do is eliminate and sanitize as many touch points as possible – something that every school and summer camp are facing this year. To that end, STEM Camp is introducing our new robotics and coding program where campers are actually allowed to bring laptops and tablets from home. In fact, they must this year! When they come to camp they can use their devices to connect to the robots and learn to code them under the watchful eye of their counsellor. Every camper will be provided with their own robot and every robot will be sanitized prior to leaving the warehouse; and after each activity by the Health and Safety Counsellor at camp.
Will there still be hands-on activities at STEM Camp? Absolutely. And those materials will be sanitized prior to use of course. So by changing up the way we do activities, STEM Camp will be keeping summer camps safe this year and doing our part to still provide an amazing summer experience for campers across our 80 locations in Ontario.
See you this summer!
