COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Young minds are hard at work on Texas A&M University's campus, where Aggie STEM summer camps are underway. The camps aim to heighten students' passion for STEM, and to deepen their learning skills.
Reid Wright is going to be in the eighth grade this upcoming fall, and he is an avid problem solver.
“I like science and math and I find it interesting," Wright said.
"I like solving problems and figuring out solutions.”
Headed into the sixth grade, this is Rush Matthews’ first solo summer camp.
“I have independence, because this is my first camp I’ve gone to without my parents," Matthews said.
The summer camp has existed for over a decade — focusing on STEM development for third through 12th graders.
" It attracts students to STEM majors, and helps them pursue a STEM degree when they get to college,” said Dr. Niyazi Erdogan, Project Coordinator of Aggie STEM.
A popular attraction is making s’mores out of a handmade oven.
“Learning how like the light reflects off of the tin foil and how the black paper absorbs the heat — that’s really really interesting to me,” said camp attendee, Cam Butler.
“We’re supposed to make a contraption that can reflect the sunlight and make the s’mores and heat it up and melt it,” Matthews said.
Various activities and workshops sparked an interest in campers of all ages — like Rebecca Roeh, who's going into her junior year of high school.
“We’ve been building towers,” Roeh said.
"We made hands that can catch a paper ball, out of paper and yarn and cardboard. We made solar ovens that can cook marshmallows using only the sun.”
With a group full of curious minds and tenacity, they're exemplifying the odds of hands-on experiments by making a hand machine.
“We had to make a hand to pick it up and catch it and throw it back [a ball of paper],” Wright said.
“Mine worked. It was pretty hard, but I overcame the challenge.”
Dr. Erdogan has worked with the program since 2010.
Now over 2,000 campers have participated, and are counting getting a front row seat to the college experience.
“They have been staying in the college dorms,” Dr. Erdogan said.
“They have been eating in the dining halls on campus, they have been transporting with the university buses — they have been experiencing full college life.”
At the end of this week, campers will walk away with STEM-filled minds, and have an achievement awards ceremony with their loved ones to look forward to.