“It dawned on me we needed something for young children that deals with science in our area,” Cargill said of the camp’s formation.
Cargill founded Wonders of The Woodlands Science Camp, or WOW! Science Camp, to provide hands-on learning activities for children. Aside from having to cancel last year’s camps due to COVID-19, the camp is in its 27th year, she said.
Since the pandemic is still ongoing, the camp will serve fewer students this year than usual, employing strategies that have been successful at The Woodlands United Methodist Church, where the camp is held.
The camp will host up to about 900 students this year, compared to its usual 1,100 or more. Campers will also observe COVID-19 safety protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she said.A popular feature that will return this year is guest speakers such as Drew Schultz, who was a student at the camp as a child. He is now the owner and zookeeper of The Learning Zoo, a Conroe-based business, Cargill said.
The camp is open to students age 3 to fourth grade, and students in fifth grade and older can apply to be junior volunteers. They can volunteer until they are 18, at which time they can become assistant teachers.
Although activities can include interacting with live animals and outdoor exercises, the curriculum developed by camp leaders is designed to reinforce what children are learning in classrooms, she said.
“We use the big science words,” Cargill said. “Don’t tell me that a 3-year-old can’t use science words when they can remember dinosaur names. ... They can learn words like hypothesis and metamorphosis.”
Another group the camp serves is adults with disabilities, Cargill said. It will be the third year for the adult program, she said.
The hands-on element of the camps is emphasized across all ages and grade levels, she said.“Parents ask me all the time, ‘What are you doing? My child comes home and can’t stop talking about science,’ and all they learn it’s hands-on; that’s the secret for success. ... What better way to teach a child?” Cargill said.
WOW! Science Camp
The Woodlands United Methodist Church
2200 Lake Woodlands Drive, The Woodlands
281-297-5948
www.wowsciencecamp.com
