Mission to Mars: Space Camp Teaches Science, Math, Teamwork

By Phyllis Coulter

BLOOMINGTON – Instead of sending children to their rooms this summer, some parents are sending them to Mars.

Challenger Learning Center at the Prairie Aviation Museum is hosting Solar System Space Adventure, a simulation in which students at space camp learned how to plan and establish a settlement on Mars. A second outing is set to begin Monday.

Its one of a series of camps designed to use space exploration to teach math, science and teamwork. The camps started last week and run until July 28.

"Space camp is cool," said Ryan Kimbrell, 11, of Bloomington who has been to four space camps at the center. He also has visited the Challenger Learning Center with his school and with his Boy Scout pack.

"I want to work for NASA someday," said the Chiddix Junior High School student.

Depending on their age group, other space camp participants will: discover the science of flying with model airplanes, hovercrafts and hot air balloons; fly on simulated trips; learn about space foods; or build an underwater model of the International Space Center.

In Marsville, campers must consider how to communicate, to provide a healthy air supply and regulate temperature, waste and water and food supplies in their inflatable village.

The 13 student space travelers who attended the first summer camp last week demonstrated what they learned for their parents, who also got to participate in a simulation.

Ryan Kimbrell worked with teammate Kevin Brockman, 12, of Pontiac, in a project involving hydroponics, the technique of growing plants in nutrient-enriched water instead of soil.

"Its because plants cant grow on Mars soil," he explained.

Throughout the summer, the center will host camps for different age groups from kindergarten through high school.

These include a weightlessness training session for the older children in a swimming pool.

"The underwater camp was very popular last year," said Janet Moore, the centers lead flight director.

It was the first time for a camp aimed at students in seventh through 12th grades. Ten youths participated last year, and this year 18 already have signed up for the camp, which wont take place until late next month, Moore said.

New camps also are designed for kindergarten and first-graders to spark an interest in space at a young age.—————Solar System Space Adventure – Grades 6-7 – June 12-16- Campers will learn to build an inflatable Mars colony through a series of simulated space missions. – Cost: $250.

Flight Specialist Camp – Grades 2-3- June 28-30- Campers will discover how lift, drag, thrust, and gravity affect flight while they fly model airplanes, hover crafts, hot air balloons, and rockets. – Cost: $90.

Crater Kids – Kindergarten to Grade 1- July 5-7- Campers will simulate a lunar flight, explore craters, build lunar rovers, create an edible solar system and share the excitement of their journey through musical and artistic experiences. – Cost: $90.

Living in Space Adventure- Grades 4-5- July 10-14- Students will learn about spacesuits, space food, and the International Space Station and will take part in a simulated space mission. – Cost: $150.

International Space Station Camp – Grades 7-12- July 24-28- A swimming pool will be transformed into a weightless training environment so that campers can learn Newtons laws of motion, learn to snorkel, see physics come alive and build a model of the International Space Station underwater. – Cost: $225.Source: Challenger Learning Center