Recommendations

This goes out to anyone and everyone who enjoys science and sharing it with others. The explainers program allows you to do that and more. Aside from being a great deal of fun, the program is also a great way to get recommendations when it comes to college applications. I HOPE that that is the case when my time comes. It also preps someone who has never held a real job to get ready for the years to come.

Overall

I can say that I have thoroughly enjoyed myself during the time I was part of the explainers program. Meeting the other explainers was a great way to meet new people and also connect with different communities. It also really helped me to get a sense as to what I want to do in the future as well as what sort of college I may want to attend. I can't say I had any bad experiences with anything about this camp other than fatigue buildup during the weeks where we had younger children with us but that is a given due to their natural high energy level. Great experience, great people, great program!

The kids

I like to think that the kids leave the camp with at least a little new found knowledge, and I'm sure that they do. Whether or not they payed full attention the entire time, at some point they did attain some time of scientific knowledge. The real trouble with the kids though, is keeping them on task as I have said in the earlier post. This wasn't so much the issue with the older kids, their issue was staying interested on the task at hand. Still overall each group of kids during the 3 weeks I was with the program have been great and really made me think over what it is to be a teacher but also what a single person can do for a community of people.

Involvement

To be listened to is nice, but to be listened to and taken seriously is wonderful. I was not sure what to expect when I was told, "At three I need to you to go downstairs and have a meeting about how you think today went." As it turns out, it was pretty cool. Not once had I actually been to a legitimate meeting that would actually have some sort of effect. Ideas are listened to carefully and my opinion mattered. Preparation for the future? I think so.

Critical Thinking?

When amongst ones own peers we assume they are at the same level of understanding as us and so when we explain something there is no second thought as to how we choose to explain it. This is not so much the case when it comes to smaller children. You do not necessarily have to choose what you say carefully but HOW you say it. This was not something entirely new to me but it has become more frequent due to the fact that I am with the children full time. I have to say, it's fun, having to think of a way a could would think. More easily said than done because an explanation is typically followed by a rebuttal of  questions.

First Experience

Right away I was immersed in a sea of rowdy children and given the task of making sure THEY would stay on task. Testing my people skills to the max while not being on overpowering figure that would make the kids not want to be who they are. I am not so sure what made me think that this camp would be like any other camp I had volunteered at but I was surely proven wrong. Perhaps it was the idea that even though I was told I would be at the front lines, I thought I would still sort of linger in the back, only helping with small tasks.

Initial Thoughts

The explainers program seemed like most any other summer camp to me when I first heard about it. With children needing to be guided and counselors to do so, and volunteers doing the behind the scenes. I was not expecting much involvement with the campers or with the other staff members but I was soon proven wrong.