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Review: My weekend at Space Camp
My son and I went to Parent / Child Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., this weekend, and I thought I’d share a bit about the experience for those who might be considering it.
The program was 48 hours long, from Friday at noon until Sunday at noon, but it was so jam packed with activities, it felt more like a week. They really keep you busy and the days are long — 6:30 or 7 a.m. wake-up and then activities straight through until 9 or 9:30 p.m.
Having done it, I’d say Space Camp is more an adventure camp than a science / educational program. “Trainees” get to use a number of simulators that are like those used to train astronauts for missions, and they get to conduct a simulated space shuttle mission, with each child and parent playing a role on the team either in mission control or on a spacecraft. It’s exciting, but I can’t say we learned a whole lot. Yes, the staff ran through some brief information about the history of space exploration, but there was not a word about the science of it.
[Plenty of scientific information can be found in the U.S. Space & Rocket Center on the campus, so you could explore that on your own, but it would have to be before or after the camp, because you may not have more than 20 minutes to yourself during the weekend program. My point is, if your child is fascinated with the engineering side of space travel, you have to ask yourself whether it’s worth the $399 per person for the camp or whether you’d be better off just visiting the museum for a day or two.]
Parent / Child Space Camp accepts kids ages 7-11, but my personal take is that it’s probably better for the 9-11 crowd than for 7- and 8-year-olds. The nature of the activities and the length of the days seems a bit much for kids still in the primary grades, although I’ll admit that the 7-year-olds who attended with us (my son included) seemed very happy and showed no signs of fatigue, so maybe my concern about the long days and late bedtimes is misplaced.
If you have an anxious child or a child too young for regular Space Camp, where the minimum age is 9, the family camp is a way to give them the experience in an atmosphere where they have you with them to make them feel more secure. To make the most of the program, though, the parent or adult who is participating should be more than a chaperon. If they’re adventurous enough to try the activities, too, you’ll get more out of the weekend.
The staff was friendly, although not always as knowledgeable as I would have liked. In those rare cases where they were talking about the history of the program, it seemed there were some kids in our group who knew as much as or more than the staff members. I also ran into some issues during the camp where things did not run as smoothly as I would have expected, given their 30 years of experience running camps. That was disappointing.
If you are thinking about going, you should know that you’ll be staying in a “habitat,” which is a large building designed to look like a space station. The living quarters are quite spartan — bunks with thin mattresses, community bathrooms, doors that close but don’t lock, no windows in the bunk rooms. You also may be assigned roommates from your camp group. The whole experience brings to mind a military boot camp, minus any harsh drill instructors, of course. If that is a deal breaker for you, you can book a room at the Marriott hotel on the property and still take part in the camp. It’ll just add to your cost.
Final analysis: Good fun, great for the astronaut wanna-be, not so educational.
Solar astronomy workshop at Tellus Museum
Mom always said, “Don’t look at the sun!” Good advice, unless you’re at a solar astronomy workshop at the Tellus Museum in Cartersville.
On Saturday, April 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., kids 8 and up can observe the sun using solar telescopes. The workshop also includes a lecture by a Tellus scientist.
The program costs $25 for non-members, and all children must be accompanied by an adult, who also has to pay for admission to the museum.
I’m not sure why this workshop isn’t listed on the Tellus web site as of this posting, but I called to verify it’s happening. To register, call the museum at (770) 606-5700.
Registration starts today for Science Night Out at Fernbank
Fernbank Science Center will host its next Science Night Out on Friday, May 6. The theme for the program is, “Things that Wiggle, Squiggle, Creep and Crawl.”
Science Night Out is aimed at science lovers in 3rd – 6th grades. The program runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Registration, which is done only by U.S. Mail, is $15 for one child and $10 for additional siblings. The class will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
Atlanta Young Writer’s Institute programs for serious writers
High-school students can learn about the craft of writing from pros, then put what they’ve learned to work in the Summer Intensive program offered by the Atlanta Young Writer’s Institute.
During this two-week workshop, rising 10th to 12th graders will learn about different literary genres, then will write a chapter of a novel, a one-act play, a short story or a collection of poems.
This year’s intensive will be held June 6-17, 2011, at Agnes Scott College. Applications are being accepted now on a rolling admission basis. The class size is limited to 16.
Meanwhile, students can get a taste of AYWI at a fiction and poetry slam seminar, which will be held April 23 at Decatur High School. The event, which is open to middle- and high-school students, is a combination of instruction and open mic reading. See AYWI’s upcoming events page for registration information.
Spring programs abound at Georgia’s state parks
One of the responses to my most recent post (about travel with gifted kids) mentioned Providence Canyon State Recreation Area. Sometimes called Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon, this park is a geological treasure not far from Albany, about a 3-hour drive from Atlanta.
When I went to the park’s web site, I saw a couple of items on the calendar that caught my eye. First, on Saturday, April 9, the park will host Geology Day — a guided trip through the canyons, exploring their geological history. (If you can’t make it that day, they’re doing the event again on June 4 and Oct. 8.)
Looking forward on the calendar, Providence Canyon will welcome stargazers for Astronomy Night on July 30 and Nov. 19.
That got me wondering what’s happening at Georgia’s other state parks. The answer is, more than I had imagined. The state parks event calendar lists dozens of events for April alone. Here are just a few examples:
- An 18th century colonial market this weekend at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder
- An evening of astronomy this Saturday night at F.D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain
- Civil War history hikes throughout the month at Sweetwater Creek State Park in Lithia Springs
- A hike to see spring butterflies on April 16, also at Sweetwater Creek State Park
There’s much, much more, so I won’t try to list it all here. The events page has a well-designed search feature that lets you explore the calendar by month, by park, or by distance from your ZIP code, so it’s easy to see what’s happening that might interest you.
Parent to parent: Tell me about great trips with gifted kids
During a presentation yesterday at Georgia State’s Saturday School, a couple of parents emphasized that travel has been one of the best ways of enriching their gifted children’s education.
I have to admit, my family hasn’t done a lot of educational travel, but we’d like to. Problem is, there’s a whole world out there, and I don’t quite know where to start.
So I’d like to ask you, readers: What are some great places to travel with gifted children?
Please reply to this post with your ideas, and check back to read what other parents suggest. I’ll use some of the responses to create a new travel section on the Enrichment page of this site.
Thanks for your help!
Smithsonian and MIT present an online mystery game for middle schoolers
“An environmental disaster has taken place on Planet Earth and we need your help. The Smithsonian Institution and the MIT Education Arcade invite all scientists-in-training ages 10 ½ to 14 to log onto VANISHED and help decipher clues that unravel one of the world’s biggest mysteries.”
That’s the pitch from Vanished, a free, online, interactive game that will have middle-school students collecting scientific data, solving puzzles and playing online games. They’ll even have video conferences with Smithsonian scientists — all to find the clues that will answer the mystery.
The game will run for eight weeks, beginning on Monday, April 4. The MIT creators of the game say kids can follow along in as little as 10 minutes per week, but those who want to be actively involved will probably spend about 2 hours per week working on it.
Registration for Vanished is open now and will continue even while the game is in progress; however, if you aren’t signed up by April 4, you’ll miss the opening stages.
Come see what Odyssey of the Mind is all about tomorrow in Lilburn
About a year ago, when I was looking into starting an Odyssey of the Mind team at my child’s school, I tried to learn more by reading the organization’s web site.
I was left scratching my head after reading their description of what OotM is:
“Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics.”
Huh? I mean, now that I’ve been coaching a team for a year, I understand that statement perfectly. But to the uninitiated, the above boiler plate does little to elucidate what exactly OotM is.
Luckily, when I called someone from the Georgia OotM organization, they suggested that the best way to understand it is to watch it in action. I attended a local competition, and in a just a couple of hours, I not only understood it but was awestruck by it.
Here were teams of kids who had worked on their own with minimal adult guidance to build machines, write plays, design costumes and create scenery. It was a true celebration of children’s creative ability.
I could go on and on about Odyssey of the Mind, but if you’ve thought about getting your child involved, or starting a team at your school, I have to give you the same advice I was given: Go see it.
The Lilburn regional tournament is being held tomorrow, Saturday, March 19, at Parkview High School. It starts at 9:00 a.m. and continues well into the afternoon. Check the competition schedule — out of the more than 100 teams participating, maybe there’s a school from your area you’d like to cheer on.
(Sorry for giving such late notice on this event, but I must admit, with coaching a team, I’m a little under water at the moment!)
Georgia Aquarium seeks summer youth volunteers
The Youth Volunteer Program at the Georgia Aquarium is now accepting applications for summer 2011.
Volunteers help out with Camp H2O, birthday parties, craft projects and other aquarium activities. In return, they get to learn about the aquarium and its marine life, plus they earn benefits, including a one-year pass to the aquarium, once they complete their volunteer commitment.
The Youth Volunteer Program is open to 14- and 15-year-olds; those 16 and older can apply to become adult volunteers. The deadline to apply is April 16, 2011.
Note: The Youth Volunteer Program is also available during the fall and winter.
Register now for spring and summer classes at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
Registration opens today for spring classes at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Northeast Atlanta. Children can take classes in the visual arts, dance or music.
Callanwolde also has a summer camp which offers courses in music, dance, drama and visual arts. Registration is open now.
And by the way, if you’d like to expand your own horizons, Callanwolde has adult classes in music, visual arts, fitness and writing. It’s also a great place to view artistic works, hear poetry readings or storytelling, and attend concerts.
Gifted Atlanta 