Photo by School of Environment, Arts and Society
Alexandra Mosquera Netzkarsch / Staff Writer
Starting on July 6, the Biscayne Bay Campus will be having young campers around the Marine Science Building for the EcoAcademy Summer Camp.
EcoAcademy Summer Camp is part of the School of Environmental Arts and Society and is hosting this camp at BBC to be able to use the laboratories in the Marine Science Building and take advantage of the bay right outside of the building. This year’s camp is the seventh in a row since 2009 when it was first inaugurated by Christina Redick and Jennifer Grimm, former Environmental Coordinators.
“This is a great tool in educational outreach,” said Nicholas Ogle, Environmental Coordinator at the School of Environmental Arts and Society.
“Through the activities in this camp we can teach the values and importance of the struggles our ecosystem is facing. We want the children to understand the problem and be part of the solution.”
This summer camp is an opportunity for children near FIU-BBC between the ages of 6 and 14 to learn about the marine biology and the environment outside of class with hands-on activities.
For the first time in 2015, EcoAcademy will offer a new additional camp called EcoAcademy at The Kampong for children between 8 and 14 years can participate in David Fairchild’s former home, which has been turned into a laboratory. In this new camp, children will learn about tropical plants and animals in South Florida.
“It is a shame that this is what this generation will be left with are a lot of problems in the ecosystem,” said Ogle.
“What we can do now is teach them as much as possible about it and help them make a positive change.”
The goal with this camp is to grow the children’s interest for science and math.
“We want to get them interested and excited about science and get to know laboratories and their equipment by using microscopes and dissecting animals,” Ogle said.
The curriculum for the camp at BBC varies every week with a different theme:
Week 1: Discover our backyard. Here the children will learn more about the ecosystem.
Week 2: Creatures of the seas. In this week they will learn about a variety of animals that can be found in and around the water.
Week 3: Age of Aquarius. Here the children will be able to learn more about physics and chemistry.
Week 4: Hot Planet, Cool Kids. During this week the focus will be on climate change and recycling.
The SEAS encourages college and high school students to be part of these camps as counselors and volunteers to help educate children about the ecosystem with hands on activities and the use of lab equipment at an early age.
In this year’s four-week camp, so far there are four college students, with a majority of FIU students working as counselors and eight local high school students taking on the role of junior coordinators.
The number of children attending the camp has increased over the years and has gotten positive feedback through surveys given to the parents and children that have participated.
It started off with 20 campers per week for a two-week period during the summer and has increased to 40 campers per week for a period of four weeks and the demand keeps increasing.
“I have been working with the camps since 2010 and the kids, college and high school students enjoy it so much, we had to make it bigger,” said Ogle.
The EcoAcademy is considering expanding, not only with the new camp at The Kampong, but to possibly extend the four-week camp and add another week to it. This is one of the options Ogle is considering for the future, if the demand for the camp keeps growing.
The BBC Summer Camp will take place from July 6 – July 31, every Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The cost will be $225 per week and this includes all the marine science activities, arts and crafts supplies, kayaking and swimming.
For more registration and information about the BBC Camp and EcoAcademy at The Kampong go to seas.fiu.edu. or contact Nicholas Ogle call 305-919-5568 or email nogle@fiu.edu.
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