Summer Camp Activities Begin in Ohio County Schools
Joselyn King Trending
WHEELING -- Space-themed summer camps are happening this week and next in Ohio County Schools, and educators organizing them hope they are "out of this world."
On Monday, a maker camp for elementary school students began, as did a robotics camp for middle school students. The science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) sessions will continue from 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. daily through Friday at Wheeling Park High School.
Griffin Kessler, a fifth grade student at Woodsdale Elementary School, could be seen sprawled out on the floor of the Innovative Learning Center at WPHS while wearing virtual reality goggles Monday morning.
"I'm looking at the ocean -- lots of sharks and stuff," he said.
There are about 60 students attending the camps this week at WPHS, according to JoJo Shay, innovation coordinator for Ohio County Schools.
Next week, both elementary and high school students will be doing robotics, and about 70 students have enrolled, she reported.
"In maker camp this week, the theme is 'STEAM Camp is out of this world,'" Shay said. "So they are doing a lot of different stations. They are Cricuting (working a laser printer), and using VR (virtual reality) goggles."
Students attending the camp are also learning to use a Glowforge to do laser cutting, she continued. They are designing astronaut and rocket cutouts that they will print out and cut this week.
"The teachers really came up with a lot of different activities that utilize a lot of different tools," Shay said. "That's exciting for the kids."
Middle school students involved in competitive robotics are taking advantage of the only camp for the county's middle school students this summer.
"Last year we had a lot of sixth-grade students, and a lot of fifth-grade students coming in, so we're just doing some basic skills with them," Shay explained. "The robotics students are learning to build and code.
"In my mind it's just so great for students. It requires so many skills that I think it's a great opportunity for them to grow in so many ways - whether it's communicating with people or building and coding. It just encompasses life skills," she said.