July STEM camps to be offered for grades 3-6
By Sam Waller
Shackelford County 4-H is offering three days of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) camps in July, with a recent decision to lower the age requirement.
Camps for incoming third through sixth graders are scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. over three consecutive Tuesdays – July 12, 19 and 26 – at The Feed Store.
Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell said the camps offer multiple hands-on learning experiences each day.
“It’s going to be fun,” Bell said. “I don’t want kids to see ‘STEM’ and think it’s more school. It won’t be like that, it’ll be fun experiments and hands-on building things.”
Cost for the camps is $10 per session. Campers may attend just one day or all three.
“Texas A&M is putting out a virtual STEM camp,” Bell said. “We’ll take the recordings from those and pick and choose a few of their activities. We have teachers who are great at this kind of stuff.”
A camp flyer is available which contains a QR code that can be scanned to reach a registration page. Registration for each session closes one week before the class.
Campers should bring their own lunch each day.
“One thing of note is it’s open to anyone,” Bell said. “You don’t have to be a 4-H member to come to the STEM days. Our flyer said incoming fourth grade was the lowest age, but we decided to open it up to third grade.”
Other Programs
Bell said the Art Club schedule for Thursday, June 30 (today), and Thursday, July 7, will not be affected by the July 4 holiday.
“We are going to go ahead and have our classes this week and next week,” she said. “It will keep going as planned.”
Bell announced a Shackelford County 4-H STEAM Facebook group has been created to highlight projects in science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
“Kelli Kreitler has been posting photos on that group,” Bell said. “You have to ask to join the group to see the photos.”
Several Shackelford County 4-Hers will attend camps during July, including a group of third through fifth grade girls attending a Prime Time Camp July 10-13 at the Texas 4-H Conference Center at Lake Brownwood.
“At the Prime Time Camp, they don’t focus on any one thing,” Bell said. “They get to experience kayaking and archery, just a gazillion different things.”
