This summer Learning Undefeated is teaming up with the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County (HOC), Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore, and the Bender Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington to provide kids with authentic STEM camp experiences online.
New Platform, New Features
Beginning the week of July 13, educators and counselors will take campers through a guided program of interactive activities, using new strategies to keep kids educated and entertained from home.
“We’ve got a lot of exciting projects in the works for camp this year including live demonstrations, STEM games, guest speakers and hands-on activities. Campers will be provided with all the materials they need to conduct investigations from home, guided by our camp counselors,” explains camp emcee, Desurae Matthews. “I’m excited about giving kids the opportunity to interact with STEM professionals as well as getting to know the kiddos virtually via ice breakers, and exciting games.”
Each day, campers in grades 3-8 are introduced to a different STEM topic – including chemical reactions, properties of matter, and forces and motion – then spend the day exploring concepts in games, experiments, and challenges. Learning Undefeated’s professional educators guide students every step of the way, using both large and small group settings that allow for detailed, individualized instruction and peer-to-peer interaction. Campers will experience recorded demos of over-the-top science experiments, question and answer sessions with counselors, at home science kits, and live speaker sessions with STEM professionals. This new online platform will allow students the opportunity to still experience camp, but in a new way.
Special Guests, Fun Experiments, and Much More!
Special Guest Joe Why the Science Spy will use his scientific sleuthing skills to demonstrate various forms of experimentation; such as making oobleck, using dry ice to create foggy bubbles, and even trying to build a rocket. The scientist draws kids in with his sneaky hijinks and quirky personality, but delivers a deeper insight into STEM experimentation and lab protocol through his online platform. Kids will interact with these videos, answering questions throughout about the specific video topic.
Fighting the Summer Slide
“Learning Undefeated’s new summer programming has been adapted for online learning with goals to reduce screen time and increase student inquiry and investigation,” describes Jennifer Colvin, Vice President of Education for Learning Undefeated.
This form of summer learning aims to fight the “summer slide,” a term once used to describe summer-time learning regression, now being associated with pandemic-induced distance learning. Though the “slide” is not inevitable, the disruption caused by COVID-19 appears to have exacerbated the effects of students’ leaving the classroom.
“Without the urgency and demand associated with school, our participants are able learn at their own pace which helps boost their confidence and hopefully prepares them for whatever the next school year brings. Our team aims to use this prime opportunity to engage and focus students on keeping academic skills polished in a low pressure and fun environment while igniting excitement for online learning through creativity, exploration and innovation.”
Using this online platform for summer camp allows students to prepare for whatever the next year looks like, despite the inherent uncertainty. These camps provide innovative ways for kids to continue learning, adapting, and having fun. Learn more about our At-Home Explorers camp program >
