Idaho State University electronics, energy camps open to K-12 students

The Idaho State University electronics department and Energy Systems Technology and Education Center along with camp sponsors, Heinz and Idaho Power, are offering a multitude of summer camps for various age levels during the month of June.

The ISU Summer Electronics Camps are designed for students who want to learn about electronics, energy, lasers, and robotics and see how electronics technology affects our world.  Camps will be held in Pocatello, Idaho Falls and Boise. Camp scholarships are available for families experiencing financial difficulty. All camp fees include a T-shirt, meals, snacks, field trips and supplies.

The Junior Camp is for students entering grades K-6. They will see demonstrations of lasers, digital television, robots, electronics, and learn about energy. Activities will allow them to discover the magic of the electromagnetic spectrum, how energy production affects our environment, various energy forms, and how lasers work. This daylong event will be held on Thursday, June 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the ISU Trade and Technical Building, ISU Campus, Pocatello. Cost for the Junior Camp is $40.

The Introductory Camp is for students entering grades 9-12 who have had no prior experience in electronics. It provides an excellent opportunity for students to begin exploring this field.

An Advanced Camp is also available for students in 9th-12th grade. This camp is designed for students who have some form of prior electronics training or have attended a prior electronics camp. Advanced campers will build more complex projects and conduct more in-depth investigations of electronics technology. Examples of camp activities include; assembling your own solar car and a competition, learning how electrical energy is created and managed, building a wind turbine, and experimenting with laser optics. Field trips will include a visit to the Idaho Power Hydro facility in American Falls and Intermountain Dermatology.

Both the Introductory and Advanced camps will be held June 8–11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Cost for the Introductory Camp is $100 and the cost is $150 for the Advanced Camp.

For students entering 9th-12th grades in the Boise valley, The ISU-Boise Summer Energy Camp will allow them to learn about energy- its sources (renewable and nonrenewable), how it is generated, and how energy and electronics affect our world.  Examples of camp activities include; experiencing a chain reaction and learning about radioactive decay, studying solar energy, photovoltaics, and designing a solar water heater, building a wind turbine and completing an energy challenge. Planned field trips include visits to Swan Falls Dam, solar facility located at Idaho Power headquarters, and a transmission control center. This camp will run June 15-18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Camp will be held at ISU-Boise, 12301 W. Explorer Drive, Suite 102, room 96. The cost for this camp is $100.  

The Girls Only Junior Energy Camp is for girls who want to learn about energy – its sources (renewable and nonrenewable), how it is generated, and how energy and electronics affect our world. Speakers from the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Women in Nuclear, and Idaho Falls Power will discuss the jobs available in the electric industry.   Girls entering grades K-4 are invited to attend this daylong session at the ISU campus in Idaho Falls. Camp is scheduled for June 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Rooms 218 and 219 in the Center for Higher Education Building, Idaho Falls. Cost is $40 for this camp.

The Electronics Department along with the Energy Systems Technology and Education Center are an integral part of the ISU College of Technology.  Six major labs are equipped to offer various energy, electronics, lasers, robotics, and instrumentation technologies. Camp participants will see several of the programs during the camp. Parents interested in seeing the Electronics department programs are encouraged to call (208) 282-3085 to schedule a tour.

Additional camp information and scholarship applications are available at www.isu.edu/estec or by calling (208) 282-3085.