During PNW's "Branching Out" outdoor STEM camp, students explore the wildlife and habitats of the arboretum while taking part in several hands-on activities such as building their own miniature robots, collecting wetland water samples and creating habitat models out of LEGOs. Middle school students are taking part in the camp this week, while elementary schoolers participated earlier this month. On the program's first day, campers were taken on an hour-long hike to introduce them to the different habitats in the arboretum, such as the prairie, oak savanna and woodlands, as well as the wetlands.
"I think it's beautiful here, there's a lot of agricultural elements that are really cool," said Liam Gonzalez, one of the camp's participants. The incoming eighth grader at LaPorte Middle School said he found learning the different plant names and their defensive mechanisms most interesting. Gonzalez said he's interested in studying marine biology in the future.
Jessica Ivy, a STEM education professor at PNW, led the development of the camp. She described the program as set up for the students to problem solve and learn during their own observations and exploration of the arboretum's different habitats. She said the goal of the program is to show the students that there are many learning opportunities in the real world, not just in a traditional classroom.
"Their classroom is the arboretum," Ivy said. Additionally, instructor Marissa Moore said they look to integrate art activities in.
