Hands-on science labs Yes, this is what we are all about.
To quote a parent:
This quote sums up my campers' experience:
8 y/o: Well, before we got there, I thought it was going to be really lame and stupid because it was a science camp and science camps are dumb. But it ISN'T a science camp, it's a SMILE camp, and SMILE camps are for fun! We didn't do ANY MATH!
10 y/o: Yeah! We got to make thermite and we calculated 3 parts of rust to one part of aluminim and we melted a flower pot!
Me: You know that's science, right guys? And math?
Them: ::silence::
8 y/o: Well, before we got there, I thought it was going to be really lame and stupid because it was a science camp and science camps are dumb. But it ISN'T a science camp, it's a SMILE camp, and SMILE camps are for fun! We didn't do ANY MATH!
10 y/o: Yeah! We got to make thermite and we calculated 3 parts of rust to one part of aluminim and we melted a flower pot!
Me: You know that's science, right guys? And math?
Them: ::silence::
Science is Cool! The ability to do the cool science experiments one's self is where SMILE gets its name (see below) and is what makes doing education worth doing.
Math = the language of science
Interactive = hands-on
Learning = One cannot do a science experiment them self and not learn something
Experience = If the experiments are cool enough, the participants will remember the experience forever.
And finally, campers that have been to programs over the period of years all have a box of their creations under their bed that's still there when the go off to college!