Clarksville, TN – Young science enthusiasts gathered at Austin Peay State University (APSU) June 5th-9th, 2023 for the inaugural Earth Explorers Camp, an experience filled with captivating experiments and awe-inspiring discoveries.
The summer camp saw students engage in hands-on activities, explore geological wonders and form new friendships.
Dr. Erik Haroldson, a professor in Austin Peay State University’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, led the camp and exposed middle school students to a fun and educational experience in earth and environmental sciences. Student camp mentors Claudia Shaver, Kelechukwu Nwandu, and Madeline Thompson provided assistance throughout the week.
Students learned about volcanoes, sinkholes, water resources, fossils, earthquakes, rocks, and minerals. The program also offered a hands-on approach to learning, with engaging activities that provided an in-depth look into each topic.
“I thought Earth Explorers Camp would be a great opportunity to learn,” said Sofie Fangman, who will be a seventh grader at Clarksville Academy this fall. “Science is my favorite subject, so I thought this would be some fun, learn new things and meet new friends.”
Kinley Meisch, who will be a seventh grader at Richview Middle School this fall, agreed.
“I wanted to do it because I’ve wanted to try out either all or most of the camps here at Austin Peay State University because my experience last year was fun,” she said. “And I wanted to see what this was all about.”
The students learned about diverse scientific concepts, including climate change, earthquakes, minerals, and fossils. They particularly relished engaging in hands-on activities like mapping sinkholes and creating rock candy.
On the first day of camp, Haroldson brought out the Trashcano, where students helped to launch 10 gallons of water and tennis balls 50 feet into the air to demonstrate how a volcano works.
“When it exploded, the tennis balls just flew out of the trashcan,” said Adelaide Post, who will be a seventh grader at Richview Middle School this fall.
Sofie quickly added, “Yeah, an explosion of gallons of water and tennis balls.”
The students also enjoyed the grow-your-own minerals activity, where they grew crystals, and sinkhole mapping, where they learned how to identify sinkholes and tried to find them on campus.
“My biggest takeaway from this camp is learning cool stuff and meeting new people,” Sofie said.
Added Adelaide: “My biggest takeaway is that I had no idea I love geology this much.”
Beyond scientific exploration, the camp offered a unique platform for the students to forge new friendships. Adelaide, Kinley, Sofie, and Madeline Clements, who will be a seventh grader at Richview Middle School this fall, expressed their delight in meeting new friends.
The Austin Peay State University College of STEM has already completed SOARing with Mathematics camp, provided by the APSU Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and a few of its coding camps, supplied by the APSU Department of Computer Science and Informational Technology. The coding camps will continue through June.
The APSU Department of Physics, Engineering, and Astronomy will host Space Explorers Camps this week and the Governor’s School for Computational Physics this month.
