BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
A child can learn about the behaviors and properties of light by sitting in a classroom and listening to a teacher and reading from a textbook, but a child can also learn about optics by doing something fun, like constructing kaleidoscopes and telescopes.
That’s the goal of the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention’s summer STEAM camps — teaching concepts of science, technology, engineering, the arts and math, while also making it fund, allowing children to participate in hands-on activities.
The museum typically hosts camps at its Gainesville facility, but this year it brought a four-day camp to Starke, which was held June 20-23 at Southside Elementary School.
“This is one of our first outreach partnerships,” said Patty Lipka, the museum’s director of experiential education. “We have three of them this summer, and (the one in Starke) is the first one.”
Lipka said the camps are helping to fill a need. She cited a study titled “The 95-Percent Solution,” which found that by the age of 22, 95 percent of what a person learns about science doesn’t come from within the four walls of a classroom.
“It comes from experiences, like going to the library, going to a science show, going to a summer camp and visiting museums,” Lipka said.
Two Bradford County teachers worked alongside Cade Museum staff at the camp: Lilly Chappell and Michelle Greist. Greist said she was excited about the camp coming to Starke because it offered opportunities that aren’t always available in the classroom.
“We don’t have enough time during the school year to do a lot of projects that have to do with science,” said Greist, who taught at Bradford Middle School this year and will teach at Starke Elementary this coming school year.
Participating in those projects — such as constructing kaleidoscopes and telescopes — will have a lasting effect on the camp participants, Greist said, adding, “Now they’re going to remember light when we talk about it. If we’re talking about light (in the classroom), it’s, ‘Oh, my gosh. Remember when we made the kaleidoscope?’”
Chappell, fortunately, gets to engage students in hands-on activities during the school year as a STEM teacher at Southside. She said projects and experiments can bring about what teachers call those “a-ha moments.” In other words, those moments when the child understands what he or she is supposed to be learning.
“Once it sinks in, and it’s there, they have it forever,” Chappell said. “They may forget it, but once they’re reminded of it, it comes right back to the front.”
Hands-on activities provide creative outlets for children as well as helping them to learn various concepts. Lipka said that’s huge because children tend to perceive themselves as creative or not creative at a young age.
“Second grade is when kids realize, ‘I can’t draw. I can’t create something. I am not able to.’ Then they get to be a little jaded,” Lipka said. “It takes root. Then we get uncreative adults saying, “Well, I’m not the creative one. It’s my sister.’
“Everybody is born creative. We try to instill that in kids.”
The camp was free of charge, which Chappell said was a plus for some families, especially during these times.
“A lot of our families don’t have that extra cash,” Chappell said. “With gas prices going up and food prices going up, things like camps will be considered a luxury. If anything’s going to be cut (from a family’s budget), it’s going to be the luxuries.”
Of course, as a teacher, Chappell sees a tremendous benefit in children participating in academics for part of the summer. She hopes parents take advantage of such opportunities. Prior to the start of the Cade camp, Chappell said, “A STEM camp keeps that brain going. They have to think outside the box to be able to do some of the things we’re going to do. For parents, this is an opportunity. It’s free. Their kids are going to be thinking at a higher level — outside the box — and they’ll be better equipped when they come to school next year.”
The STEAM camp will benefit more than the children who attended. Lipka said the training that Chappell and Greist received prior to the camp may have exposed them to ideas they can then incorporate into their classrooms.
“I like to learn still,” Greist said. “Even after 20-something years of teaching — almost 30 — I’ve learned so much already.”
Chappell said, “It’s been exciting. I love to learn new things. It was a good time (at the training session).”
It was a good time for Chappell and Greist, and Lipka was confident the camp would offer a good time for the children.
“If you’re not having fun, then you’re half asleep,” Lipka said. “We say there’s something (here) for everybody.”
Ally Bradshaw adds some flair to the car she’s constructing.
