YC Kids Camp staff bring experiments to Whitehorse classrooms next week
Whitehorse - Elephant foaming toothpaste, balloons that inflate themselves and gummi bear osmosis are three experiments elementary students can take part in next week.
Camp facilitators from Yukon College will be visiting Whitehorse classrooms to generate interest and excitement about the 2012 season that begin June 18th.
“We’ve created a whole new set of challenges and fun things for young people to tackle at the weekly camps,” said Gina Sparling, one of three YC Kids Camp coordinators. “Anyone who came last year will definitely not be doing the same things this summer.”
The 18 camps are offered in three separate streams – trades expeditions for youth aged 9-11 and 11-15 years, and technology or science expeditions for youth aged 8-10 and 11-13 years.
New this year, two expeditions aimed at “munchkins” will introduce children aged 5-7 years to interactive experiments in science and technology.
“There are few summer camps aimed at this age group and parents have really been asking for them,” said Jessica Borgford, Technology Expedition coordinator. “This will give younger siblings an opportunity to join in the fun too.”
Some of the activities offered at the camps are: building scooters and boats, making glow-in-the-dark slime, creating music with computers, morphing images, building and programming robots, dissecting frogs and lampreys, making and using astronaut water filters, black light germ busting, and dry ice bombs.
“What makes these camps stand out is that kids have access to College facilities,” said Aprile Hanrath, Trades Expedition coordinator. “They get to work in the carpentry shop and use real tools, prepare food in a professional kitchen, and experiment in the chemistry lab.”
In 2011 the camps almost sold out. This year the College has hired three additional facilitators, bringing the total to nine. This will allow the program to run four camps each week, up from three, expand the trades expeditions to 9-11 year olds, and visit more communities.
Beyond Whitehorse, YC Kids Camps will also be held in Ross River, Pelly Crossing, Watson Lake and Dawson City in June and July. Camps in a further four communities are in the planning stages.
Hanrath said communities are able to request a special focus to their camps. “For example, Ross River has asked that we help youth build garden boxes for the community and in Dawson City we will focus on small engine repair.”
All camps will cost $149 per child and will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each weekday. Parents looking to sign up their children, should call (867) 332-5209 or email camps@yukoncollege.yk.ca. More information can be found on pages 13-14 of the Summer 2012 Course Guide from Continuing Education and Training, Yukon College – online at www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/ce and in print editions across the territory.
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Contact:
Michael Vernon
Communications Coordinator
College Relations
Yukon College
867 668 8786
867 322 4722
mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca
www.yukoncollege.yk.ca
Jacqueline Bedard
Director
College Relations
Yukon College
867 456 8619
jbedard@yukoncollege.yk.ca