NOAA Science Camp – Camp Schedule of Daily Activities
A typical day at NOAA Science Camp is spent working with several NOAA scientists, camp staff and each other to explore various ocean and coastal concepts. These concepts will prove instrumental in the campers’ ability to formulate reasonable hypotheses for determining the cause and chooses for solutions to an environmental problem that serves as an over-arching theme for the week. Campers learn to work together to complete large and small group challenges through hands-on science activities as well as games. The week culminates with a scientific symposium, at which the campers share the results of their small group projects with family, friends and scientific visitors.
Sample Daily Schedule for Monday – Wednesday*
- 9:00 a.m. Camper check-in and morning welcome with large group teambuilding games
- 10:00 a.m. Science activity – Small groups are escorted to varying NOAA departments for science sessions. (Rotations are different for each small group.)
- 12:00 p.m. Lunch and outdoor/field time
- 1:00 p.m. Science Activity – Small groups are escorted to another NOAA department for a different science session. (Rotations are different for each small group.)
- 3:00 p.m. Small groups review the day’s information with Camp staff, followed by large group games that are generally outdoors.
- 4:00 p.m. Camper sign-out: Parents and guardians or other approved drivers sign-out their camper.
*Thursday is similar, except that the morning science activities rely on the campers who share their information they learn as specialists within a group of science disciplines. On Friday, the groups reconvene and develop a poster presentation for the camp’s culminating science symposium and celebration, open to invited guests.