Summer camp goes high-tech

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Venture_Camp2.jpg” caption=”David Rosato, a fifth-year electrical engineering and management student, helps Grade 7 student Laura Obdeyn build an MP3 player. Photo by Susan Bubak.”]Gone are the days of making tie-dyed T-shirts at summer camp. Children attending McMaster's Venture Summer Camps are building their own MP3 players.

Now in its 17th year, the Venture Engineering and Science, Computer and Technology Camps have more than 1,000 students in Grades 3 to 10. The camps are so popular, there's a waiting list.

David Rosato, a fifth-year electrical engineering and management student, has been attending the Venture camp since he was in Grade 4. Now, he's the camp's marketing manager.

“Venture has been part of my life for a long time,” he says.

Attending the camp as a kid influenced his decision to study engineering at McMaster.

“Being around engineering students, I knew it was something I wanted to be part of,” he says. “Hopefully, that will happen to some of these kids.”

The eight-week camp runs through July and August. Students learn about science and engineering through hands-on projects led by McMaster students.

The campers are divided into juniors, intermediates and seniors, and each group works on a unique project.

In addition to building MP3 players, other projects include building metal detectors and remote control cars.

Program director Rodney Gabay says it's important for kids to stay mentally active over the summer so they're ready to go back to school in the fall.

“Come September, teachers are spending close to six weeks re-teaching the previous year's curriculum,” says Gabay. “Summer programs such as Venture not only reduce this setback in September, but it also ties in real-life applications.”

In May and June, the Venture Engineering and Science Program hosted workshops at schools in Hamilton, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Niagara Falls and Stoney Creek. More than 8,000 students participated in the workshops.

McMaster also offers a Learning Enrichment Advancement Program (LEAP), which introduces high school students to engineering through lectures, hands-on activities, labs, industry tours and projects. Forty students are registered in the program, now in its third year.

Students can choose from five course options, including Robotics and Mechatronics, Sustainable Mechanical and Civil Design, Biomedical Engineering, From Nano Materials To High Performance Components and Gaming in a Virtual World.

They can also get a taste of university life by staying at a residence on campus.