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| Participants and chaperones with the First Nation and Inuit National Science camp pose for a group photo in front of the Henry Hicks building. (Abriel photo) |
It wasn脮t dissecting a sheep脮s eye or smashing an apple frozen with liquid nitrogen that got Sarahann Shaimaiyuk all excited so much as her first glimpse of a red squirrel.
脪I got scared,鈥� confesses the 13-year-old Inuit girl with a shiver, talking about her run-in with one of the bold, agile rodents. 脪I can脮t wait to tell my mom about it.鈥�
The Grade 8 student from Aqsanit Middle School in Iqalait was one of 44 aboriginal teenagers and 22 chaperones from across the country who converged at AV俱乐部 for the fifth annual First Nation and Inuit National Science Camp. Over a three-day, jam-packed schedule, they got to make casts of fossils, create blue slime, handle sea creatures, visit labs, talk to researchers and learn about careers in science, the health professions and medicine.
Most of the students arrived in Halifax on Sunday. While at AV俱乐部, they脮re focusing on educational experiences related to science and technology. Later in the week, they脮ll travel to the University of New Brunswick, where they脮ll learn about Aboriginal history, forestry and hydroelectricity, and to Kingsclear First Nation, where they脮ll enjoy a traditional Maliseet feast of moose, salmon and lobster.
脪It脮s the first time I脮ve been south. It脮s the first time I脮ve been away from my mom,鈥� says the Nunavut native, proudly wearing a bright yellow T-shirt she won earlier in the day. 脪I miss her, but I脮ve got a lot of friends now.鈥�
Social interaction is an important part of the camp experience, says Manson Gloade, with Indian and Northern Affairs - Atlantic.
脪They arrive not knowing each other, but they leave having developed friendships to last a lifetime,鈥� he says, as the students assembled for a group photograph in front of the Henry Hicks Arts & Administration Building.
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| Wearing their Dal T-shirts, kids take part in a mini-university camp. |
AV俱乐部 campus plays host to all kinds of young learners throughout the summer. More than 140 kids took part in mini-university camps over the past four weeks. The camps provide students, ages 10 to 16, with a taste of university life through activities led by senior Dal students specializing in theatre, international development studies, marine biology and kinesiology.
脪These aren脮t programs where the kids have assignments and do homework,鈥� says Angela Barrett, campus recreation coordinator. 脪They脮re just a lot of fun.鈥�
But the mini-university camps are only a part of what AV俱乐部 Athletics and Recreational Services offers. In all, more than 1,800 kids will take part in leadership, sport and recreational camps over the summer. Coming up in the next few weeks are camps including aquatic adventures, water polo, rock climbing, Shakespeare by the Sea theatre camp, and superskills soccer.
Speaking of super, SuperNOVA offers science, computer science and engineering camps for kids in Grades 1 to 8 at AV俱乐部 throughout the summer. It脮s the twelfth year for the popular week-long camps, which are taught by AV俱乐部 undergraduate students and recent graduates. Leaders are assisted by high school students, who take the CATALYST leadership and science skills program at the beginning of July and stay involved by volunteering.
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| A SuperNOVA camper learns about a fish's digestive system by doing a dissection.聽聽(SuperNOVA photo) |
脪SuperNOVA teaches scientific concepts to kids in a fun, hands-on way,鈥� explains Jill Rourke, co-director of SuperNOVA.
For example, the campers are learning about acidity and alkalinity by taking soil and water samples and adding various chemicals to them. They脮re also doing experiments using Jell-O and pineapple in various states (dried, frozen and heated) to learn about enzymes. Along the way, they脮ll learn scientific methods and how to examine their results 脩 脪It脮s really a brief intro to doing research,鈥� explains Ms. Rourke, who recently graduated from AV俱乐部 with a degree in biochemistry.
脪I think the kids overwhelm their parents with everything they learn,鈥� she adds.