In Intro to Engineering, students will learn the basic principles of engineering design and use this process to solve a variety of ‘build challenges’, which must survive performance trials and unexpected obstacles along the way! Students will work collaboratively with one another and our amazing instructors to study the principles of force, energy, mass, and other fundamental properties in Newtonian physics.
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Using real-world buildings and other edifices as inspiration, campers will start the week by defying gravity to build the tallest “skyscrapers” and strongest bridges. Then, they will move onto air resistance and density and study how different types of planes, boats, and cars operate, seeking out unique ways to build them all and optimize their designs.
As the week continues, our engineering challenges get even more elaborate! Campers will be faced with tasks that combine their knowledge of physics with ingenuity and an ability to work together within a budget! The camp finale, an egg drop, will be a demonstration of campers’ final invention – whose team will succeed and get their precious cargo to safety, and who will crack under pressure?
Enrichment Activities: In the afternoons and evenings give campers the opportunity for informal science learning, as well as leadership and problem-solving training through workshops, experiments, guest speakers, and recreational activities. Students will also attend a mid-program excursion to a local science venue.
Camps for rising 4th - 5th graders have three price options:
Day Camper: Day Campers check in Sunday with dinner provided after check-in and then enjoy curriculum Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm. Meals are not provided with Day Camp Tuition - campers can bring a sack lunch or can purchase our optional Lunch package for $40 (includes lunch in the dining hall Monday-Friday).
Extended Day: Extended Day Campers check in Sunday with dinner provided after check-in and then enjoy curriculum and recreation Monday - Friday from 9am to 9pm, with lunch and dinner provided in the dining hall.
Overnight: Overnight campers check in before dinner on Sunday and check out at 5pm on Friday. All meals and shared dorm accommodations are provided.
"Major" lab session Options may vary by camp session & include: engineering, marine science, astronomy, & robotics
12:00 pm
Lunch in the dining hall (included for overnight & extended day campers; day campers can purchase an optional lunch package or bring a lunch)
1:15 pm
Recreation
2:00 pm
Science "minors" plus workshops Afternoon workshops give girls an opportunity for informal science learning, as well as leadership and problem-solving training. Past minors have included forensic science and chemistry.
5:00 pm
Day camper check-out
5:30 pm
Dinner in the dining hall (overnight & extended campers)
6:30 pm
Team leadership & project planning class
7:45 pm
Evening recreation & activities
8-9:00 pm
Extended day camper check-out
9:30 pm
Floor check (overnight campers get ready for bed)
10:00 pm
Room check & lights out
Education Unlimited believes in small-group, immersive learning with subject matter experts and experienced teachers. We strive to provide industry-leading instruction to all of our students and hold all staff to the highest possible standards. Staff assignments vary by program and location. Some of our recent staff members for this program include:
Rhonda McCoy, PhD - Camp Director
Dr. Rhonda McCoy is a Manager of Quality Control for a leading global biopharmaceutical company. Through analysis of quality from creation to post-expiration date, Dr. McCoy oversees a team that ensures medications sold around the world are both safe and effective. Dr. McCoy holds a PhD in Chemistry from Howard University in Washington DC. A member of the Education Unlimited team since 2005, Dr. McCoy has been passionate about the empowerment of middle and high school age girls throughout her career, evident in her work as Director of our Science and Engineering Camps for Girls. She has volunteered her time as the scholarship program chair for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and taught chemistry and physics in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools of Charlotte, North Carolina.
In addition to her doctorate degree, Dr. McCoy has a Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina A&T State University. Prior to her five years as a research assistant at Howard while pursuing her doctorate, she spent time as an analytical chemist with the global cosmetics brand, L’Oreal. In her free time, Rhonda enjoys travel, shopping, and time with her family.
Victoria Obenchain, MS - Instructor
Victoria Obenchain is a dedicated science teacher to primary and middle school age students. For more than 10 years she has taught at The Salkan School in Moraga, CA where she has focused on hands-on experiential learning. In addition to her time in the classroom, she coaches an after-school robotics class and each year she is a tour group leader, taking students on international trips to countries such as Costa Rica and Japan. A valued member of the Education Unlimited team since 2008, Victoria has been one of the most popular teachers in our Science Camp Program and is an inspiring advocate for science education. She loves spending her summers with Education Unlimited because in addition to working with kids who have come to camp to learn, she gets to focus on one subject, such as marine science or astronomy, for an entire week.
Victoria has two degrees in Environmental Science. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Elon University in North Carolina and a Master of Arts in Environmental Education from Montclair State University in New Jersey.
