Science and Technology Camps Keep Students Involved

From increasing digital literacy to creating sparks and chemical reactions, Texas Tech K-12 kept kids learning this summer with TechFest and Mad Scientist Camp. The camps took place at the Texas Tech DFW site.                                     

TechFest

Sponsored by AT&T, 70 students, divided into cohorts of elementary, middle and high school sessions, enjoyed three days of hands-on activities and collaborative projects, immersing themselves in the DFW site’s iOS Design Lab. All ages learned to navigate technology thoughtfully while also developing social-emotional awareness. 

Chris Moore, director of the lab, and Michelle Kirkpatrick, a Texas Tech K-12 elementary teacher, were with the TechFest camps. Moore explained how TechFest was an incredible experience for the students – and for him.  

“I was continually inspired by the ingenuity, creativity and innovation demonstrated by the students,” Moore said, with more than a little pride.

Through the sponsorship, each student received either an iPad or Dell laptop. 

Each day offered new adventures for the different groups. Elementary grades learned about cybersecurity, using artificial intelligence to identify objects, a social-emotional learning activity and more. 

Middle schoolers learned about digital literacy, designed simple video games and Google Doodles, explored social media and social skills, made an arcade case, and prepared for the last day’s showcase.

High school students participated in a mental health activity but also explored digital literacy and designed a simple app, which included coding, coloring, animation and interactive elements. On day three, they reviewed resumes they’d built and practiced social and professional skills and networking.

“Watching our high school participants design and develop their own mobile applications was especially impressive,” Moore said. “The quality of their work exceeded expectations, and several of the apps have the potential to become viable products.

“It was rewarding to see every student leave with a smile on their face and a device in their hands. None of this would have been possible without the generous support of AT&T. Their investment empowered our students with meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that will have a lasting impact on their futures.”

Mad Scientist Camp

Held in early August, the camp was led by mad scientist extraordinaire Brett Mosley, science teacher for Texas Tech K-12. The students moved though states of matter explorations like chemical reactions in a Ziplock. Glue and a special activator became slime. Oobleck, from the Dr. Suess book, was cornstarch and green water. And the students developed their own concoctions to insert inside a balloon to make a squishy toy. They also created the always-crowd-pleasing Diet Coke and Mentos fountains.   

Other hands-on experiences during the three-day camp included engineering principles within a momentum and impulse project, Bernoulli’s Principle and the science of coding. Tammy Pulse, Texas Tech K-12 coordinator at the DFW site, led all of the AT&T components at the both TechFest and Mad Scientist camps.

Mosley says the goals were ambitious for this year’s Mad Scientist Camp, and the students were enthusiastic to meet the challenge. 

“Beyond fun experiments and hands-on science enrichment explorations, our young mad scientists were also challenged to grow their digital literacy through a youth education program from AT&T,” Mosley said. “They learned coding skills on their new iPads from our Texas Tech DFW iOS lab and became real scientists with takeaways from the Texas Tech K-12 science program, all while meeting new friends, seeing emotional well-being advances and having a blast – literally.”

Many of the young scientists commented enthusiastically on their camp experience.

Jacob said, “The best part of this camp was meeting new friends!”

Zoe and Riley loved the slime.

Mason and Austen commented, “We loved learning to code!”

“I am going to become a scientist to help other people,” said Arden, mad scientist and self-proclaimed future surgeon and inventor.

Mosley says the goal of science education has changed as a new generation of future scientists has changed. 

“We strive to see a science education that focuses on exploration, inquiry, fostering broad problem-solving skills and community,” he said. “Our Texas Tech K-12 students brought their kindness, curiosity and grit. They were the embodiment of these characteristics of modern scientists and Red Raiders.”