The Pinhead Institute, with local support, just finished a STEAM Discovery Camp with 15 students last week, funded by a Colorado Department of Education grant. Executive director for the Pinhead Institute Sarah Holbrooke told the Forum the camp was a success. According to her, students did knot-tying, created motorized “jitter” brushes, painted rocks, made dream-catchers and more. All of the work was steeped in math and science, and led by Jeanna Jasperson, the West End’s Pinhead coordinator, who is also a veteran math teacher.
The event culminated with family engagement, as all of the summer camps do, and then 50 people attended a dinner, for which the students made tacos using dutch ovens. They also made a cherry cobbler.
Holbrooke said the kids enjoyed their time, and Pinhead staff are grateful to Camp V, which lent use of the pond, which the kids did jump into. They’re also grateful for Sarah Cooper, Stephanie Malcom and others who worked at the camp.
“It was a good collaboration,” Holbrooke said.
Next up, the week of July 14, is an afternoon coding camp, and again students can come free of charge. Jasperson will lead the camp at Naturita Public Library, and students will learn how to build and program a Lego robot. The camp is for grades fourth through eighth, and any family who’d like to register their child should email jeanna@pinheadinstitute.org.
And, two more Pinhead Institute camps are on the horizon. There’s a Carnival Creations Camp at the end of moth. Already the camp debuted in Norwood; now it’s coming to Naturita.
“As for Carnival Creations, the best part was the collaborative building, even though the students all built their own games,” said Trang Pham, of the Pinhead Institute. “There were a lot of circle times where we talked about our builds and our successes/setbacks, including getting feedback from the peers on how to improve a build. Each day, the students learned a new STEM topic, which helps them with the basics of engineering.”
Pinhead Institute staff said there was also free time, so the camp isn’t just about building nonstop. Additionally, there’s some outside time, to give kids a break and foster their creativity.
At the end of Carnival Creations, students will show their week’s long project. In Norwood, it included a Harry Potter-themed ring toss, Dobby Sock Toss, a “Plinko-type” bean bag toss, an electric buzzer game and more.
Holbrooke said the Carnival Creation dates are July 28-31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Naturita Public Library. Lunch will be served for the kids.
Additionally, right before school, there will be a “prep camp” for kids who want to be on the West End’s robotics team. Last year, Naturita’s team did make it to the state tournament, and Holbrooke said it’s exciting to see what these kids can do.
She wants all to know that the Pinhead Institute offerings have family components, and families will be invited to come and feast and see their students’ work. Often, lunch, or at least snacks, is provided to the kids at all of the camps.
The Pinhead Institute is an affiliate of the Smithsonian, based in Telluride, offering STEM programs in regional communities for students of all ages.
