The University of Northern British Columbia's summer camps are going online.
With the novel coronavirus pandemic ruling out the possibility of in-person camps this summer, the UNBC Active Minds team created three different activity streams to keep children engaged, entertained and educated while staying at home..
The virtual campers will be able to build a dancing robot, learn how animals stayed warm during the ice age, conduct a hurricane in a jar experiment and interact with UNBC faculty members - all without leaving their home.
"Our goal at Active Minds is to foster enthusiasm in science, technology, engineering and math," UNBC development officer Nicole Gibson said. "The COVID-19 pandemic obliged us to take a different approach this year.
Here's a closer look at the three streams:
Activity Clubs: Themed online classes, ranging from a half-hour to an hour a day, led by UNBC students. Campers can engage with each other and their leaders online while completing fun, interactive activities.
Ask a Prof Fridays: UNBC faculty members will lead a hands-on activity and answer questions about their areas of expertise on Facebook Live every Friday, starting with geography assistant professor Dr. Joseph Shea on July 17, 1 p.m. start.
Activity Boxes: Five themed boxes, each containing three experiments for children to complete at their own pace. All of the boxes contain detailed instructions and a science lesson.
"Through our activity clubs, activity boxes and Ask a Prof events, we developed a unique program that will expose children to new ways of thinking about science and captivate their imagination," Gibson said.
A link to the programs can be found through under the news tab on the mainpage at unbc.ca.
