Camps hope kids will say 'Y.E.S.' to careers in math and science

The work involves chemistry, genetics and forensics.

The Youth Experiences in Science (Y.E.S.) Summer Camps, programs geared toward rising first through ninth-graders, give students a chance to put those concepts into practice.

Sponsored by the Auburn University College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM), Y.E.S. camps were first started in 2001, according to Mary Lou Ewald, director of Outreach COSAM.

The Y.E.S. camp will offer 13 different courses spread out over the summer that blend concepts of math and science with activities that allow participants to explore stream life with “River Creatures”or solve a crime using modern technology in an exercise called “Medical Technology and Forensics.”

The hands-on approach to learning is something Ewald said may help students positively reinforce concepts they’ve learned in their respective classrooms during the school year.

“Educational research indicates that students learn science and math by inquiry-based, hands-on learning experiences,” said Ewald. “Basically people learn better by doing instead of simply watching, which may be of particular significance in subjects that are more abstract and conceptual like math and science.”

All of the courses taught at the Y.E.S. camps are lead by certified science teachers from Alabama and Georgia.

Summer Y.E.S. was one of three summer programs in Alabama to qualify this year for the annual publication “The Ultimate Guide to Summer Opportunities for Teens,” which lists the top 200 programs in the country that prepare students for college success, Ewald said.

While it may be fun for students, Ewald hopes the camps will encourage more youth to opt for careers in math and sciences.

“Fewer and fewer students are choosing careers in science, technology, engineering and math,” said Ewald. “It has become a national crisis that is already impacting our nation’s ability to remain globally competitive.”

“All of us learn in different ways,” Ewald said. “This camp will hopefully be an opportunity for a student who may not respond well in a classroom setting to really become engaged in science.”

If You Go

What: Summer Youth Experiences in Science (Y.E.S.) Camps

When: July 21 through 23 for rising sixth through ninth-graders. There will be a special Summer Y.E.S. camp for girls from July 9 through 11

Where: Wright’s Mill Road Elementary School, Auburn

Cost: prices range from $59 to $270.

For more information or to register, visit www.auburn.edu/cosam/outreach or contact the COSAM office at 844-7449.