Campers extracting DNA from fruit during the "Why is an apple red
and an orange orange?" lab session. Photo by Bridget Kathleen Flohe.
G3 Camp offers hands-on educational fun for grandparents, grandkids
Jul 1, 2015
Grandparents and their grandkids learned how a zombie’s brain works, how light can create art, and to extract DNA from fruit all during Grand Valley’s annual Grandparents, Grandkids, Grand Valley (G3) Camp June 23-25.
Hosted by Grand Valley’s Regional Math and Science Center (RMSC), G3 Camp offers a fun and engaging opportunity for children ages 8-12 and their grandparents to attend hands-on classes while experiencing college life by living on the Allendale Campus for three days.
Chelsea Ridge, RMSC math program coordinator, said G3 Camp offers a unique opportunity for grandparents and grandkids to bond in an educational setting.
“The relationships they form within their family and with other families at camp are priceless,” Ridge said. “The opportunity to live the college student life is wonderful and several of our campers indicated that they want to attend GVSU because of this experience.”
This year’s approximately 100 campers enjoyed activities such as:
- Creating a zen-inspired garden
- Exploring how light inspires art
- Learning about the activities of law enforcement officers
- Becoming scientists to collect and analyze samples from Muskegon Lake on the Annis Water Resources Institute’s W.G. Jackson Research Vessel
- Learning how sounds are created and how we hear them
- Designing and building “Trash Bots” that were tested on an obstacle course
- Testing solar powered devices to learn how the sun impacts daily life
- Stopping the villainous “Pete the Polluter” and his army of “Energy Suckers” from destroying the eco-friendly features of the Mary Idema Pew Library through a series of puzzles and clues
During evening hours, guests were invited to explore Grand Valley’s campus and take advantage of activities in the Fieldhouse or Kirkhof Center where kids and their grandparents could swim, use the climbing wall, play basketball, bike, play pool or watch movies.
For more information about G3 Camp, call the Regional Math and Science Center at (616) 331-2267.
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