LAC LA BICHE - What can be more exciting than making ice cream and playdough, constructing marble tracks, decorating balloons, or putting together structures that can hold the weight of eggs without them cracking? What about constructing a bridge out of nothing more than toothpicks, skewers, marshmallows and a heck of a lot of imagination?
Over the past week, a group of Lac La Biche area youth were doing these fun and exciting activities, along with experiments, at the S.T.E.A.M (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) camp. The camp was held from Aug. 19-23 at the Bold Centre.
Kristina Oberg of Lac La Biche County said during the camp, participants would conduct experiments, learn how to make observations, come up with questions related to their experiments, as well as develop hypothesis. They would also participate in engineering activities, building different structures, along with creative art projects. Math was also integrated when solving problems while doing activities.
The objective of the activities offered in the S.T.E.A.M camp, Oberg continued, is to create curiosity in the kids who took part, and help them develop a love for different ways of learning.
“S.T.E.A.M camp is important because it encourages creativity and the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a fun environment,” she told Lakeland This Week, adding that skills learned within S.T.E.A.M are transferrable and helpful in other aspects of life.
“The goal is to support participants in developing critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills,” she said.
The week-long camp was one of several camps offered this summer by Lac La Biche County. Other camps included junior volleyball, junior adventures, Mission Impossible, and creative kids.