Great Minds Meet to Encourage Kids' Curiosity

The Kids Camps at the University of Saskatchewan are proving the value of engaging kids at a young age.

July 21st, 2009 (Saskatoon, SK) - Brahm Neufeld, director of SCI-FI Science Camps since 2007, started out as a camper himself. He then volunteered as a counselor-in-training and worked as an instructor before taking over as director. He said his experiences with the program have been invaluable.  

“Kids Camps all have the common benefit of making kids familiar with campus,” Neufeld said. “I don’t know if people realize the impact that has. I can think back to when I was a kid working with Lego at camp and it made starting university much less intimidating.”

While Kids Camps introduce the campus itself to future U of S students, the camps also show them a wide range of education and career possibilities. SCI-FI runs up to 15 different camps each week, with activities such as making sidewalk chalk, building voice modulators and creating a miniature electric piano.  

Now in its 20th year, SCI-FI has grown from a total of 160 campers in 1989 to almost 2,000 this summer, the largest turnout ever. Satellite camps are offered at different times around the province, and now run in 20 communities.

The Ecology Camp for Kids out of the Centre for Continuing and Distance Education (CCDE) is also growing. The camps were filled by mid-April, compared to past years when it took until June. Melanie Elliott, program manager, is pleased with the strong interest.

The Ecology Camp is unique in that it takes daily field trips to a variety of locations. One trip took them to Beaver Creek, where the kids assisted Elliott in her research project tracking birds.

“We like to have the kids involved in real science,” said Elliott. “This is real data they collect and it goes into a national database.” By getting kids out of the classroom, Elliott added, they experience science in a way most of them have not had the opportunity to before.

Both SCI-FI and the Ecology Camp see many return campers, which Elliott and Neufeld both identify as a sign of success. Neufeld said one of the best parts of his job is seeing the kids grow, and watching them accomplish something.

“It’s building that interest for high school and planting the seed to continue and finish their education. It’s very rewarding.”

There are a wide variety of Kids Camps programs offered at the U of S. Camps include Aspiring Young Artists, Kinesiology Children’s Activities Camps, Living History Workshops, Summer Food Fun Camp, AgBio Discovery Camp, Making a Play, Music Camps and Summer Band Camps.

Visit the Ecology Camp website at http://www.ccde.usask.ca/ExtensionDivision/noncredit/Children/ecology01/index.html or visit www.kidscamps.usask.ca for more information on any of the U of S Kids Camps.  

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Press Release Contact:
Teri Rosenfelt
U of S Communications
(306) 966-6607
communications@usask.ca

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Press Release Contact:
Brahm Neufeld, Director
SCI-FI Science Camps
(306) 966-7755
science.camps@usask.ca