South Fayette Summer STEAM Camps Return outh Fayette SOUTH FAYETTE TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
After taking off two years due to COVID , South Fayette Summer STEAM Camps returned for Elementary and Intermediate School students , held July 11-14 . The camps offered students the opportunity to explore , experiment , and create all while learning about fun topics related to Science , Technology , Engineering , Art , and Math . Students entering grades 4-6 participated in the morning and kids entering grades 3 and 4 met in the afternoons .
The Intermediate School STEAM Camp was filled with highflying fun , cool chemistry , and daring drops . Over 40 students learned all about experimentation through various sciencerelated topics , with their teacher , Mark Kuglar . Students built straw rockets and bottle rockets and tested their straw rockets in the gym for distance and accuracy . On the last day , students launched their bottle rockets outside . Sara Cabonor taught the campers about gravity through the timeless egg drop challenge . The students first made and tested parachutes by tying them to candy canes and dropping them from the second floor . Then they built protective packaging for their delicate egg deliveries and once again let them fall over 20 feet . Rachel Geis led a group of young scientists in hands-on
54 SOUTH FAYETTE demonstrations and various experiments related to chemical reactions , like writing with invisible ink , melting foam cups , and exploding bags . On the last day , students shared what they learned with their families through a gallery walk of their sessions .
The Elementary School STEAM Camp was also filled with experimentation as well as creative engineering . The 42 younger campers learned about solar energy and the rain cycle . Rebecca Colangelo helped each child make rain cycle bracelets and they made solar ovens where they made delicious s ’ mores . Kuglar taught students about buoyancy and wind power ; and built little boats out of tape , foil , cardboard , and popsicle sticks . They tested how much weight their boats could hold and stay afloat and held a mini regatta and raced their boats . With their teachers , Kylee Parisi and Shad Wachter , young creators designed and built miniature tree houses out of recycled materials and went on a nature walk around the school to collect items to add to their tree houses . A showcase was held on the final day for students to share their creations with their families .
SUBMITTED BY SHAD WACHTER , DIRECTOR OF THE SF SUMMER STEAM CAMPS