Although schools are closed, students are still studying.
Georgia College & State University’s Academic Outreach and Science Education Center recently hosted a science camp for students in grades 3 through 9 where they explored the science behind the food they eat.
The University of Georgia’s Academic Outreach has been providing educational programs to residents of the Middle Georgia region for nearly 60 years.
According to their website, Academic Outreach’s mission is to provide learning experiences for people in Baldwin County and neighboring communities. Academic Outreach works in partnership with the University of Georgia’s Center for Science Education to engage the community and increase participation in science.
This year’s camp is aimed at teaching students about food science and what goes on in the kitchen and inside our bodies.
“We learned about the digestive system and made a lot of foods,” said one camper. “My favorite food to make was pita. It was a lot of fun to make.”
Students made bread, butter, popping pearls, bubble tea and pizza. As they ate what they made, students learned about the science involved in baking and cooking.
“We started by learning about the importance of washing our hands and staying clean,” said Ruth Eilers, a science camp instructor, “and then we put our hands on an agar plate to see how many bacteria were there.”
When Eilers isn’t teaching science to students at summer camp, she works as GCSU’s director of academic outreach.
In addition to Eilers’ guidance, the camp also includes four counselors and two junior counselors, some of whom were former science camp attendees.
Students at the camp toured The MAX, GCSU’s dining hall, to see how the kitchen operates and also learned how waste from The MAX kitchen is composted to help plants grow.
Campers planted basil, chia and radishes. They used microscopes and vinegar to experiment with the natural mucilage found in okra and chia.
Each year, campers are able to choose a theme for the following year’s science camp, allowing students to learn about a field that interests them.
“Kids love science and they’re interested in science,” Eilers said, “and it’s kind of a safe space where they can be curious, which is one of the reasons we’re letting the kids choose next year’s theme.”
The camp began as a way to provide additional science opportunities for students during the summer when school is out.
“The camp gives students an opportunity to learn things they can’t learn in the classroom,” Eilers said. “There are lots of opportunities for hands-on activities.”
The camp was designed to keep children curious about science.
“First and foremost, I want kids to be interested in science,” Eilers said. “I want them to have questions. As they grow up, they learn that it’s not appropriate to have questions at certain times. I want them to continue to have those questions about the world.”
The students said they had a great time at camp and are looking forward to next year.
“I think I learned a lot. It was great,” said one camper. “I’ll come back next year.”
For more information about Academic Outreach or GCSU’s science camps, contact Ruth Eilers at 478-445-0810.
