State Museum Announces Engineering Summer Camp Dates

Five weeks of daily summer camps to be held between June 16 – July 25

COLUMBIA, SC – June 16-25, 2014 – The South Carolina State Museum is excited to present another year of entertaining and educational summer camps that will take place between June 16 and July 25.  In partnership with Engineering for Kids, the State Museum will present five weeks of day camps that will focus on combining engineering and science with fun for all campers.

“We are thrilled to partner with Engineering for Kids to bring back another year of our popular summer camps,” said Meika Samuel, director of operations, S.C. State Museum.  “Our campers will have a blast while learning about a variety of engineering topics such as building robots, designing video games and creating theme parks.”

As part of the museum’s dedication to promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, the museum will present weekly camps to students between to ages of 7 – 12.  Each week, the camp days will be broken down into morning and afternoon sessions. Campers are able to sign up for weekly full days or weekly half days.  The weekly full day price is $220 ($200 for members) and the weekly half day price is $130 ($115 members).

The South Carolina State Museum is partnering with Engineering for Kids to present entertaining and educational summer camps that will take place between June 16 and July 25.

Summer Camp Schedule:

June 16 – 20
•  9 a.m. – noon: LEGO ® Mindstorm: Using LEGO® Robotics, campers design, program and control fully functional robotic models in a series of real-life activities. Campers also test and modify robot behaviors using software as well as collect and analyze data from their robots’ sensors.
•  1 – 4 p.m.: LEGO ® How Amusing: With the goal of creating the most fantastic theme park experience ever, campers will compete on teams in engineering-related contests. At the end of the week, only one team will win the prestigious honor of having created the world’s next great amusement park for children of all ages.

June 23 – 27
•    9 a.m. – noon: Survivor: Engineer’s Cove: Join us for the first ever Engineering for Kids® Survivor challenge. Stranded on an abandoned island, surrounded by danger, darkness, cold temperatures and wild animals, campers compete as tribes in engineering-related challenges to survive and eventually escape the harsh island conditions.
•    1 – 4 p.m.: LEGO® Rescue Mission: Using LEGO® Robotics, computers and teamwork, campers will design and program robots to respond to simulated disaster situations such as moving rubble and retrieving targets.

July 7 – 11
•    9 a.m. – noon: Heroes Week: To protect the world and save mankind in the process, campers will join a league of heroes and compete in engineering-related challenges such as saving an ecosystem from a potentially lethal oil spill. Only one group will end the week as the ultimate league of super heroes!

•   1 – 4 p.m.: Electronic Game Design: Invader Defense Game: Campers will use Multimedia Fusion 2® to create their own video game from start to finish. Whether firing marshmallows or missiles, young game designers will program characters to survive waves of enemy attacks in order to reach each level. At the end of the week, campers take home a copy of the game they create. July 14 – 18
•    9 a.m. – noon: Game Design: Racing Games: Campers will use Multimedia Fusion 2® to create their own video game. Students will design a racetrack, race cars and an environment in which their cars compete. At the end of the class, campers take home a copy of the game they create.
•   1 – 4 p.m.: The Engineering of Food (Girls-Only): Campers will create their very own food production company in this appetizing camp where students explore The Engineering of Food. Where does our food come from? How does it get from the source to the store? These questions and more are answered in a camp where students team up in a competition to unlock the secrets of delicious desserts. Grab an apron and join the fun as we compete to create mouth-watering treats.

• 1 – 4 p.m.: Momentum Madness: How fast can an object go without compromising safety?  Campers work with their Pit Crew to design and build vehicles such as dragsters and hovering levitrons.

July 21 – 25
• 9 am. – noon: Survivor: Engineer’s Cove: Join us for the first ever Engineering for Kids® Survivor challenge. Stranded on an abandoned island, surrounded by danger, darkness, cold temperatures and wild animals, campers compete as tribes in engineering-related challenges to survive and eventually escape the harsh island conditions.

• 1 – 4 p.m.: LEGO® Rescue Mission: Using LEGO® Robotics, computers and teamwork, campers design and program robots to respond to simulated disaster situations such as moving rubble and retrieving targets.

To register or to learn more, visit http://engineeringforkids.net/location/themidlands, call 803-574-9198 or email [email protected].  All campers will need to bring their lunch. You can also learn more by visiting scmuseum.org.

About the South Carolina State Museum

On Oct. 29, 1988, the South Carolina State Museum opened its doors, bringing to the citizens of the Palmetto State the newest, and one of the finest, state museums in America. The Museum has four large floors devoted to the disciplines of art, history, natural history and science/technology. It houses both long-term exhibits and changing exhibit galleries. For more information about the museum, visit scsmuseum.org or follow @SCStateMuseum on Twitter.