Spotlight on Summer: Mad Science

Spotlight on Summer: Mad Science

We’re gearing up for summer at Wagner! Each week we will explore and go behind the scenes of this year’s summer camp programs at Wagner College.

This week’s spotlight is our: Mad Science Exploration Series

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With over 30 years of experience, Mad Science provides science education to millions of children around the country. We’ve partnered up with Mad Science once again to bring innovative programming that helps kids learn about science through fun hands-on experiences. Together our approach to teaching science invites children to pursue STEM careers with classes that are as entertaining as they are educational.

forenicsSecret Agent Lab & Funky Forensics  June 29 - July 2
Suspects! Schematics! and Sleuths! Connect the dots using science to help solve a crime in this hands on investigation of the science of sleuthing. Uncover the science involved in evidence gathering and analysis and fingerprinting detection. Enhance your recall and observation skills and learn how to use spy equipment.

rocketLoco-Motion  July 6 - July 10
It‘s all about Movin‘ — Wheels, Wings and the ‗Wright‘ stuff. We‘ll spend the week looking into how things move and the forces behind them. Race mini-hovercrafts and learn about friction. Explore the galaxy and study rocket flight. What does each part do? Launch a few rockets too! Keep racing with rubber band powered cars and helo-flyers. What‘s inertia? You‘ll know after this camp, and you‘ll be able to do the magician‘s table cloth pull because of it. Use an ancient flying machine as your guide to build a cool kite. There are so many ways to move. It‘s movin‘ and groovin‘. Fasten your seat belts for motion, motion and more motion.

Let's Go Growing, Preschool  July 13 - July 17
In this camp preschoolers will learn all about how their gardens grow, from the very first seedling, to the important roles of sun and rain, to the amazing plants and flowers that sprout and bloom. They will also get acquainted with the many insect inhabitants of their gardens, and how those insects help make their gardens so beautiful. Campers will add daily to a mural reflecting what they‘ve discovered.

2014 Camp DescriptionsEureka! The Inventors’ Camp  July 20 - July 24
Children will overcome a series of challenges using basic materials, simple machines, tips from famous inventors and – most important of all – their mind. With a little bit of ingenuity children will create catapults and forts, construct working light sticks to take home and assemble a set of circuits with batteries and light bulbs. While Thomas Edison said ―invention is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration‖, this camp is 100% FUN!

S.T.E.A.M. Rollers  July 27 - July 31
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics.  Do you get bored easily? Not in this camp. Every day is a new theme; one day you get Birds and Beasts {it‘s all about wildlife; from dissecting Owl pellets to building a bug house}, then each day you‘ll ―roll‖ into something new like Crazy Chemistry {make your own sidewalk chalk and create a crystal garden using common household items}, Machine Mania {how do things work? Like mega-pinchers and catapults}, Jr. Architects {build all kinds of stuff, from pasta skyscrapers to bubble structures} and Shutterbugs {Kaleidoscopes, Camera Obscuras, and catching your shadow are just a taste of this camp}. If variety is your bag, this is for you.

nasaNASA® Space Academy  August 10 - August 14
Mad Science and NASA® have teamed up to bring you the excitement and wonder of space in the NASA® Space Academy camp. This is your chance to be a rocket scientist! Explore the science involved in rocket construction as you build your own rocket. Use teamwork to complete an important space mission and build a model space station. Explore the farthest reaches of our solar system and create a lunar eclipse in our Mad Science planetary tour. This stellar camp is your ticket to the stars as you journey through the galaxy.

We offer half and full day options for many of our camps! To learn more about our other summer camp offerings check out our Summer Camp Programs page. Or
Register Today!

Why is STEM important?

Why is STEM important?

STEMIf you look across the academic landscape what is it that you notice? Students are performing science experiments, testing out solar energy, and learning the basics of computer programming. But what does all of this mean? Here’s one word for you, STEM. Referring to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, you can find STEM education being implemented in schools and programs around the country and here in New York City. But the question is what makes STEM so important?

Jobs today are proactively seeking candidates who possess skills revolving around STEM. The majority of those jobs fall within the realm of science, technology, engineering, and math fields. However, professionals with such skill sets are not abundant at the moment, resulting in a shortage of skilled workers that may result in a negative impact on the U.S. economy. Research and studies continue to show that in order to produce a highly skilled and educated workforce that will enable the nation to compete on a global scale with the likes of China and India, greater emphasis needs to be placed on STEM education. STEM education will stimulate students’ minds, cultivating that sense of curiosity and eagerness to enhance their knowledge, all while enriching and empowering a new generation. This has spurred a movement by civic and government leaders, including President Obama, to make it a priority to expand STEM education across the country. In addition to that, the growth of technology and its relevance today makes it all the more important for the expansion and continued introduction of STEM related disciplines.

Starting from an early age, students exposed to STEM have demonstrated better performance than those who have not been exposed to STEM. According to the article, Unpacking the Benefits of a STEM Education, the Obama administration has made it a point to focus on expanding STEM education by providing nearly $3.1 billion in funding, with the primary aim of producing well-versed students in the sciences and technology. Case studies have also shown that early introduction to STEM has impacted students career paths, with one particular case study pointing out how one student decided to pursue a degree in engineering at Washington State University, all as a result of his experience with STEM.

Perhaps nowhere else is STEM gaining more steam than in New York City. Early college high schools are opening up with increasing speed. This is part of a joint initiative between the New York City Department of Education, the City University of New York and IBM. The primary emphasis behind the development of such high schools is to give primary focus to STEM. In addition, a wide variety of summer and after-school programs are being organized providing students with a variety of STEM-based activities such as robotics, biology experiments, video game design, and building mobile apps to name a few. This coincides with research, showing that careers within STEM are expected to grow at twice the rate as careers in other professions. In addition to that, graduates in STEM can possibly expect to make $500,000 more than their peers in other professions over the course of a lifetime.

In short, the U.S. today is experiencing a severe lack of a skilled workforce that can keep up with the advances being made in technology and the sciences. Expanding and reinforcing STEM education has the ability to bridge the technical and experiential gap, all while broadening the mind sets of students and professionals alike for generations to come.

by Tammer Mahmoud

Our community on NY1!

Our community on NY1!

This past Saturday, Elizabeth Keatinge of NY1 stopped by our Children's Science Institute to learn about the benefits and impact of STEM Education. Our very own Marcy Carr spoke on creating a fun and nurturing environment where children can become excited about learning about science. This early exposure to STEM education can lead to a life-long passion for science, math, engineering and technology. Careers in STEM are on the rise and with many possibilities in the field, there is room for growth and high earning potential according to Wagner biology professor Chris Corbo.

But the real stars of the segment were our very own students! Great job to all to Anthony, James, Isabella, and Joseph who did an awesome job on camera!

Wagner College offers a variety of STEM programs from K-12:
Children's Science Institute
"We-Do" Lego RoboticsLEGO Robotics
Video Games Design
Pre-College Science and Literature

Learn more about the importance of STEM education in this week's blog!