Click here to subscribe today or Login.
BEAR CREEK TWP. — Sure, Liam Evanko may have enjoyed testing creek water for oxygen, nitrogen and PH levels. And of course the day they use virtual reality goggles was very fun, but asked for his favorite part of the three-day STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) camp staged by the Wilkes-Barre Area STEM Academy, he admitted it was the trebuchet.
“We got to hit things with it,” he grinned.
Keith Eberts, head teacher for the district’s STEM academy, said 30 students from all of Wilkes-Barre Area’s elementary schools participated for free in the three-day event that finished Friday on the grounds of Bear Creek Community Charter School, where students sampled creek water and took an educational stroll along a forest path.
The first day was biotechnology day, with a chance to solve crimes with some actual fingerprint dusting, get a hands-on taste of chromatography, and similar experiences. Thursday was engineering day, with the campers solved decode secret messages with clues to a scavenger hunt requiring, among other things, the use of a drone to pick out shapes from a bird’s-eye view.
One of the wide range of lessons included a chance to handle a live snake, something Joel Tapia said was easily his favorite part. Asked what he wants to do when he grows up, he barely hesitated: “Hunter.”
Jevahnie Hernandez, who finished sixth grade at Heights Elementary this spring and is heading to GAR Memorial Junior/Senior High School in the fall, said she liked “everything about the camp, including the chance ‘to work as a team.’” And what does she want to be once she’s old enough to land a job?
“A scientist, maybe,” she said. “Or a singer.” Or maybe the “Singing Scientist?”
And what does Liam want to be? Considering how much he liked knocking things down with that trebuchet, the answer may be a bit surprising.
“I’m focusing on engineering,” he smiled, ” I like to build things.” His construction material of choice: LEGO bricks.
