Excel with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is an experiential learning program at YMCA Camp Whittle for 5th – 8th grade students and their teachers. Perched at an elevation of 7,200 feet on 136 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest, Camp Whittle offers an ideal STEM learning environment with its alpine climate, towering pines, natural meadow, crystal streams and abundant wildlife. Under a theme of Discovery, kids participate in activities, such as paleontology, oceanography, aeronautics and satellite technology to learn about the land, sea and sky.
Our custom curriculum draws from cutting-edge industry research, including lesson plans and activities related to the sky from our partners at NASA. The JASON Project, a non-profit organization that connects students with inspirational STEM role models through web-based technology, also affords Excel with STEM students the opportunity to watch scientists at work, asking questions and receiving answers in real-time as they explore the depths of the ocean.
While students are engaged in hands-on learning in the great outdoors, their teachers are provided with methodologies and resources during professional development sessions, including Inquiry Based Learning, Teaching Science & Technology in the 21st Century, and Teaching the “Next Generation Science Standards” in Minimal Time, to maximize STEM learning in the classroom.
With more than one million unfilled tech jobs anticipated by 2020, it’s critical to stimulate a child’s interest in STEM and provide them with the tools needed to succeed. In working with schools, educators and industry leaders today, Excel with STEM is designed develop tomorrow’s next generation of innovators, problem solvers and game changers.
Registration Costs
3 day/2 night Package $160 per student/$75 per chaperone
To book your classroom, school or group for Excel with STEM, please call YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles Camping Services at 909-866-3000 or email camp@ymcaLA.org.
