Science Camps of America will return to the Big Island for its third summer, offering teens entering eighth through 12th grades the opportunity to take an active approach to learning about science in the outdoors. Camp founder Michael Richards started the camp in 2013 so teens could “do” science rather than just reading about it in a classroom.
The Pahala Plantation Cottages in Ka‘u will be home base for the campers. Richards is a board member of the Ka‘u Learning Academy in Naalehu, which is set to open this fall. He worked with founder Kathryn Tydlacka and other board members to get the academy approved by the state’s Charter School Commission— it was the only applicant authorized to become a public charter school last year.
“The Big Island is such an amazing place geographically, climatically and culturally that I knew I wanted to create a camp that encompasses what makes this place so unique,” said Richards. “Ka‘u is such a beautiful and remote place where the people and their needs often get overlooked. Helping to get Ka‘u Learning Academy approved by the Charter School Commission was something all of us involved put a lot of energy and effort into because we believe in its importance.”
Campers will get the chance to explore the environmental diversity the Big Island has to offer from beaches and rainforests to snow-covered mountains. Some of the destinations include Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Lani Sea Turtle Restoration Project, Mauna Kea Visitor Center, U.S. Geological Survey’s Mauna Loa Climate Observatory, Punaluu Black Sand Beach and more.
The first camp session, Land and Sea, will be held June 29 to July 8 and focus on volcanology, geology and oceanography. Campers will explore Hawaii’s unique flora and fauna and learn how events in the natural world affect every living creature, including humans.
The second session, Air and Space, will be held July 9 to 18 and focus on astronomy, climatology and alternative energy. Campers will gain a better understanding of climate change and the creation and use of alternative energy to help curb global warming.
Richards sold his software company in 2010 and tapped his former geology teacher, Floyd McCoy, to be the nonprofit’s director of education and help create the camp’s curriculum. McCoy, a Big Island native, is a professor of geology and oceanography at Windward Community College. McCoy is a highly regarded scientist and educator and has appeared on specials for National Geographic, BBC, TLC, NBC and Discovery.
To extend this experience to more teens, Science Camps of America, a Hawaii-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, offers a limited amount of financial aid and also welcomes contributions from the public to the Science Camps of America Scholarship Fund. To help out or to learn more about and register for Science Camps of America, visit sciencecampsamerica.com.