Summer camp introducing youngsters to engineering concepts

Campers had a hard time picking their favourite activity at UWindsor’s Engineering Lancer Summer Camp.

“I loved everything. I can’t pick one thing. We built stuff, we had fun, we were creative,” says Emma Hobbs, 9, a Grade 5 student at D. M. Eagle Public School. “I love engineering.”

The week-long camp hosted 60 children between the ages 8 and 12. Participants were introduced to a variety of engineering-related concepts, including aerodynamics, forces and motion, fluid dynamics, material strength, and the design process.

The July 9 to 13 camp included outdoor activities and swimming at the St. Denis Centre.

“I liked the egg drop and parachute. It was fun to drop stuff,” says Emily Tayag, 9, who was visiting from Toronto and signed up for the camp with her cousin Ivanka Pavlovich.

“It was fun to build it too,” Pavlovich, 8, chimes in.

“But dropping stuff is more fun,” Tayag adds with a grin.

Female registrants in this year’s Lancer Engineering Summer Camp received a discount on the $160 registration fee thanks to a grant provided by Union Gas and Build-A-Dream. The grant aims to encourage more young women to explore engineering and participate in engineering-related activities.

“I liked how we used our creativity to build stuff,” says Anna Noelkaramatos, 9. “It was really fun.”

A second session takes place August 13 to 17. To learn more, visit www.uwindsor.ca/engineering/outreach.