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Camp and Covid

Heading into summer with covid still in the air I see two reasonable options for how we could proceed.

  • We could cancel our camps so as to best facilitate and encourage social distancing. This is the stance PEEC has taken and we respect them for that.
  • We can acknowledge that some parents are still trying to work from home and others need to actually go to their workplaces and need childcare even if it is less than ideal and we can provide that childcare as safely as possible. This is the path we will be taking.

The decision to continue to offer summer camp this summer is not a light one and it will come with some changes to our plans.

  • We will no longer be offering individual weeks of camp. We want to reduce the number of camper everyone comes into contact with as much as possible.
  • We *will* be offering half-day camp for the whole month.
  • We *will* be spending our entire mornings through lunch outside. This means half-day campers will be outside all day.
  • We *may* not use public transportation and instead have different base camps each day of the week.
  • We *will* do a lot of hiking. We *will* play with robots, even if it is under a shade tent.
  • We *will* be limiting camp in June to just five families. If there is enough interest in the half-day camp, we may offer a second session with a different teacher, but no more than five families will be in any group and those groups will remain separate.
  • Geocaching! We’ll find a few and maybe even create some!
  • I’m in the process of putting a few BreakoutEDU activities together. Maybe we’ll have a massive scavenger hunt to solve one of our boxes.

Our camp is for any kiddo entering elementary school next year. Campers must be able to take care of their own personal needs and be able to hike a couple of miles a day.

According to the current plan by the governor we should be able to open half-day camp on May 15th. We’re taking names for this camp, so please contact us if you are interested.

We’re also working on being deemed essential, so that if things close back down we can keep offering camp for essential workers. If we need to close or you are not an essential worker, we’ll offer refunds for any missed weeks of camp.

Please talk to us about any concerns you may have and we will work with you.

Sign up for camp here: https://lasteamlab.com/event/summer-camp-june/

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What to expect this year.

We decided to create the STEAM Lab because we are passionate about education. We hope that this year and in all years to come that the STEAM Lab will be a community building resource. That children and families can use the space to dream, explore, create, and bond, not just with each other but with other community members.

Community members should expect to find themselves having fun while learning new things at the same time. It is our hope that kids can use our space to try new things that maybe they wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to. We envision a multi-purpose learning co-working space with children and families in mind. Everyone is welcome!

The following guidelines are for everyone who uses the STEAM Lab, kids and adults. This is an ever evolving list of guidelines and things may change as we grow and learn from each other. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with us!

Guidelines


Do’sDon’ts
– Have fun!
– Treat everyone with respect
– Create new things
– Make a mess
– Clean up your mess
– Be excited and share it!
– Ask questions
-Try all the things!
-Run
-Carry robots over your head
-Crazy feet (we have downstairs neighbors)
-Throw things
-Touch people without permission
-Use our computers to visit NSFW sites

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What is a STEAM Lab?

Most people have heard the term STEM learning, and understand that STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. So what differentiates STEAM from STEM and why is that important?

STEAM includes the importance of art in scientific, tech, engineering and mathematical learning. Art education allows students to learn things in a more open ended way and make them applicable to real life.

Artistry and creativity are what make STEM exciting! Discovering creative ways to apply scientific exploration, technological feats, engineering mastery and mathematical calculations is what drives our society.

If we left out art what would the Sistine Chapel look like? Would it be da Vinci’s Vitruvian stick figure? Would geometry have potential to be sacred?

Don’t just take our word for it, find out more for yourself: Huffpost News, Education Closet.