UW-River Falls offers summer camp for young engineering fans

UW-River Falls will host the UW-Madison College of Engineering’s Camp Badger Exploring Engineering on July 7-13 on the UWRF campus.

Students with an interest in math and science who will enter eighth grade in the fall are invited to apply.

The week-long summer camp provides an introduction to what engineers do and is designed to interest young students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines (STEM). Participants stay in the UWRF residence halls and eat in the campus cafeteria.

“Experience has taught us that this is the best way to help young people understand engineering,” said Camp Director Philip O’Leary, a professor of engineering professional development at UW-Madison. “Campers are directly involved in the learning process and they leave with a better idea of what engineers do in real-life situations.”

Each day campers follow a 12-hour schedule of activities, all facilitated and chaperoned by university faculty and college students.

Popular activities are field trips to local companies and engineering facilities.
Activities also include project-based exploration, hands-on exercises, team-building projects and small-group discussions.

All campers receive a workbook with questions designed to guide journaling and discussion of their experiences. There are no tests.

This summer marks 15 years of successful sessions in Madison and the third summer on the UWRF campus.

In addition to the camp session held in River Falls, there are five sessions held on the UW-Madison campus.

Interested students are invited to apply no later than March 11 for the 30 spots available.  Qualified applicants will possess determination, creativity, problem solving and time management skills, as well as the ability to get along well with others in a team environment.

Cost for the full week, including lodging, meals and field trips, is $595 per student. Need-based scholarships are available.

“One goal of Camp Badger is to offer an experience to kids who would not otherwise have the opportunity,” O’Leary said.

Females, representatives of traditionally underserved populations, minority group members and young people who have not had an experience with a pre-college program are encouraged to apply, he said.
Additional information, including application forms, is provided by visiting www.uwrf.edu and enter search term “Camp Badger,” or by contacting the UWRF Outreach office at 715-425-3256.