Eureka! Virtual Camp 2021 Re-Cap

Nine years of collaborative success between the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science has resulted in another exciting year of Eureka! Camp! The camp spanned five, fun-filled days which included hands-on science and engineering activities. 

Due to the ongoing pandemic, Ryerson decided to conduct the camp entirely virtually, and campers aged 7-14 were able to experience STEM based learning from the comfort of their homes. Despite the challenges posed by virtual learning, the science and engineering councillors were able to help campers engage in new content throughout the week while still fostering the community that in-person camp offers. 

A key part of the camp was completing experiments based on designated topics, followed by discussions and activities that reinforced the ideas covered. Campers developed their passion for STEM by exploring and diving deep into these ideas through asking and answering questions. Several campers demonstrated problem-solving skills throughout the camp by identifying issues they experienced during the experiments and finding solutions, just like scientists do! The councillors were delighted to embark on this journey with the campers. 

This year’s Eureka camp consisted of 5 science activities that spanned the topics of chemistry, biology, physics, and ecology. These activities included extracting DNA from strawberries, making plastic out of milk, building balloon hoverboards, creating homemade stethoscopes, and extracting pigments from leaves to learn why they change colours.

By the end of the week, campers expressed feelings of happiness and contentment with the days they had at camp, and the councillors were grateful to be a part of the successful experience. Several campers were able to make connections on how the knowledge they learned throughout camp applies to their everyday lives and posed very thoughtful questions. Additionally, experiencing the variety of topics covered during camp sparked new ideas of careers many campers never knew existed, opening doors and planting seeds for them to pursue in the future. Seeing the spirit of inquiry come to life in campers and all the smiles shared was the highlight of the camp experience!