BOISE, Idaho —
This summer, more than 170 Idaho students from five different schools participated in STARBASE summer camps.
The summer program has expanded from previously being a single camp for children of Idaho National Guardsmen, to eight camps with three different themes: a ‘CSI’ forensic science camp, a ‘Mission to Mars’ engineering camp, and a ‘Search and Rescue’ survival camp. The themes were created by STARBASE instructors, who designed 25 hours of curriculum activities for each week-long camp.
"This year, we expanded and got more creative, which was really exciting because we were able to serve more kids than we normally get to see and try out some new and fun curriculum," said Courtney Taylor, program director. "In previous years, STARBASE just had one summer camp on Gowen Field exclusively for Guard kids and we also traveled to Migrant summer schools in Nampa and Caldwell, but to teach the same lessons we did during the normal school year."
During the school year, the program provides Title I fifth grade students with hands on STEM education on Gowen Field.
"Summer is the time the program has given us to step outside our normal curriculum and experiment to try out new areas of STEM and develop new lessons we can then possibly submit to our national program for youth and other STARBASE programs across the nation," Taylor said. "Our STARBASE staff were really excited about developing this new program and we hope to continue the curriculum into future summer camps and possibly the normal academic year."
Throughout the summer, STARBASE collaborates with staff and volunteers to serve students in five schools and local agencies, including the Caldwell Migrant Summer School Program; the Idaho Wing of the Civil Air Patrol; a camp for children of Idaho National Guard members; the Learning Garden Children's Center in Meridian; and four different regions of the YMCA. Each camp facilitated approximately 15 to 30 students ranging from the third to sixth grade.
Having the ability to travel outside of Gowen Field enabled STARBASE to reach more students, including those outside its normal districts that the program serves throughout the school year, Taylor said.
"Normally during the school year, STARBASE cannot travel out into the schools, so the schools have to come out to Gowen Field," said Taylor. "During the summer, it's a whole different story. We put on supplemental programs and are able to then pack up a car and take everything out to the school site or wherever the program is hosting."
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