Day One: The Body as a Simple Machine
Campers will have the opportunity to visit the nursing program at our local Southern Regional Technical College campus, where they will learn about how the body is used is used as a simple machine. During their time on-campus, students will learn about nursing as a career, take a tour of the facility, and interact with high-tech simulators, all-the-while learning about the incredible things that the human body can do. Take a look at their website: http://southernregional.edu/. After heading back to campus for lunch, campers will continue to learn about the complexities of the body and how it can accomplish some amazing things. Then, they will have a chance to practice what they have learned by participating in an interactive presentation with “The Karate Man: Andrew Smith” from Thomasville Karate Academy.
Day Two: The Human Machine at Work
After spending a day learning about how the body works as a human machine, the campers will have a chance to put their knowledge to the test at the Florida State University REZ, where they will work together in groups to complete tasks on both the low and high ropes challenge courses. Before the students will participate in the course activities, they will learn about how to use their bodies in the most efficient manner to support the tasks that they are about to complete. To learn more, check out http://campusrec.fsu.edu/outdoors/reservation. Students are expected to bring a packed lunch with them.
Day Three: Simple and Complex Machines
Campers will learn how one local tree business uses large, complex machines to a cut down, remove, and grind stumps. They will learn about the machines and tractors that are needed for both the tree removal and erosion control processes. Campers will be able to interact with some of the machines that are needed to complete such a complex task. Then, after lunch at the Thomas University campus, campers will engage in building their own simple machine, which they will have to use in order to complete a specific task.
Day Four: Complex Machines
Flowers Foods is one of the United States’ largest producers of baked goods, and there headquarters are located right here in Thomasville, GA. On this day, campers will travel to Flowers to learn about how their products are made from start to finish, using the latest technologies in food preparation. For more information, please look at the Flowers Foods website at http://www.flowersfoods.com/. Then, after a quick lunch at Paradise Park in Thomasville, the campers will travel to the WILO manufacturing facility to see how complex machines work to treat water supply and sewage. WILO is one of Camp STEMtastic's biggest supporters! Campers will need to bring a bagged lunch on this day.
Day Five: Culminating Day
On the last day of camp, students will spend the morning finalizing their “thank you” letters and completing their simple machines. Then, in the afternoon, parents and friends are invited to attend a reception, highlighting the events of the week and where students will demonstrate how their own simple machine works.