From Summer Camp to Future Careers

What do veterinarians, software engineers, gourmet chefs, and entrepreneurs have in common? They all visited Camps for Curious Minds this summer! We just wrapped up another exciting camp’s season at Pacific Science Center.  

This summer, we saw 3,837 youth participate in 295 camp sessions across our five campuses. Our creative camp team hosted 91 unique camp experiences, with activities ranging from exploring local wetlands, divulging in the science of food, experimenting with technology, and imaging life in space!  

We were fortunate to bring in an epic line up of guest speakers who spoke about topics ranging from the human body, rivers of Washington, innerworkings of a cell phone hard drive, and crafting the perfect meal. Our guest speakers truly showed campers how STEM is everywhere! 

We want to give a special shoutout to the volunteers who joined us to ignite curiosity for our camps: 

• Jared Dean from Bristol Myers Squibb taught Chem Lab campers the science of the immune system, showing how powerful T Cells work as the body’s superheroes.  
• University of Washington’s Jessica Fagerstrom, Afua A. Yorke, and Alex-Lindgren-Ruby taught campers the magic of physics in Ready, Set, Physics! 
• We learned how different fish species navigate the PNW waterways when Stephanie Larson from PNNL led our H-2-Whoa campers on an aquatic adventure. 
• Best Buy’s Jason Ehlenfeldt brought in tools and recycled tech hardware, giving Inventor’s Studio campers the opportunity to disassemble and explore the inner workings of everyday electronics.  
• Dr. Heather Henne from Seattle Children’s Hospital gave future healthcare heroes attending What’s Up Doc? a peek into the world of medicine.  
• From Pokemon GO to Pokemon Woah – Jake Jeffrey from Scopley amazed our Game Zone campers with stories of game development and hidden easter eggs.
• It was a chocolate paradise at Candy-ology when Maeve Chocolate’s Ruby Shrestha showed campers the tasty journey from cocoa bean to chocolate bar.  
• The power of the sun was bright and clear when Moses Fatorma and Zakariya Mukhtarm from Sphere Solar brought solar panels to Greener Futures. 
• Brock Johnson from Tom Douglas Restaurants cooked up some curiosity by serving up lessons in science and food in our Cooking up Science camp. 
• BNBuilder’s Kristina Day and Nicole Bates challenged campers in Enviro-Engineering to be sustainable and resourceful while assembling building models.  
• Our Dissection Lab and Young Physicians camps brought Jessica Fagerstrom, Afua A. Yorke, Alex Lindgren-Ruby and Helen Fischer from University of Washington to lead campers on an inside look – literally – of anatomy to understand more about our body’s systems.  
• Campers in Mission to Mars went on an out-of-this-world journey with Jamie Tubungbanua from Blue Origin, who showed us how she went from a curious student to a space-tech trailblazer helping launch missions beyond Earth.  
• PacSci’s very own Tierra Jones empowered campers in Young Entrepreneurs with her story of creating and running her own business.  
• Jenny Turner from Seattle Veterinary Outreach showed Ready, Set, Vet campers how to turn a love for animals into a career in veterinary medicine. 
• Boston Consulting Group’s Surya Ambardar challenged campers in our Scratch That session to design their ideal robot using ‘If Then’ programming statements.  
• Art and STEM joined forces in our Natural Creations and Artsy Forestry camps when Jess Ray from University of Washington taught campers how to beautifully capture the natural world. 
• Software Developer Megan Jones taught our Itsy Bitsy Coders campers about how a passion for problem solving is the best superpower behind a career in engineering. 

Thanks to our incredible guest speakers! Our campers left with more than just camp shirts and memories — they left with an inspiration to continue their STEM journey and make an impact in the world. We are grateful thank you joined us to inspire the next generation of thinkers, tinkerers and innovators! 

Thank you to the generous sponsors who helped make Camps for Curious Minds possible for 3,837 campers. If you would like to learn more about supporting our campers or volunteering as a guest speaker, please email us!

Generous support provided by:

Additional generous support from Byron and Alice Lockwood Foundation, Pam Merriman & Sonja Ross, D.V. and Ida J. McEachern Charitable Trust Horizons Foundation, Jim Norris, Lockheed Martin, the Northwest Earth and Space Sciences Pathway (NESSP) funded by NASA under award No. NNX16AB86A, an anonymous donor, and more than 1,500 individuals, companies and foundations that donate to Pacific Science Center each year, as well as more than 13,000 member households from every corner of Washington State and around the country. Learn more about ways you can support Camps for Curious Minds and Pacific Science Center.