Last summer, Shamar Nelson never left Homewood and had a fairly idle and boring time. This year, by 9 a.m. on Monday, he’s eating breakfast, and by 10 a.m., he, and a half dozen other 6th graders have completed a 10-minute math challenge and are puzzling over how to build a taller free-standing structure than two other groups while using only paper, bendy straws, string and paper clips.
It’s the first day of the Homewood Renaissance Association S.T.E.A.M. Summer Camp at the Homewood House, and Nelson and his fellows have just 30 minutes to complete their challenge with no help from the camp’s instructors other than a sheet of guidelines to follow.
Though it could just as easily stand for athletics or activity, the “A” in STEAM stands for arts, which the camp staff has incorporated into its Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics curriculum. It could also, said camp director Rodney Heard, just as easily stand for “awesome.”
“Someone has to do this. If not us, then who,” he said. “These kids are already behind the 8-ball—teachers who don’t care, parents who can’t understand their school work and can’t help. That’s why we’re here.”
Now in its second year, the camp will take 70 local kids, from 4th grade to 6th grade, and blend morning academic and arts instruction with afternoon athletics and exploratory activities from June 23 to August 8. They also get three meals a day and take weekly field trips to places like Keystone Park or Laurel Caverns, with a final five-day trip, this year to Michigan.
“We’ll go to the Carnegie Science Center and we’ll also have the UPMC mobile science lab coming by later in the year,” said Heard. “And we’ll be going swimming at several different pools. Today after lunch, we’ll head up to Homewood Park for some ultimate Frisbee.”
In the meantime, 14-year-old Erin Shealey is telling everyone the five advantages her team had in building the highest structure.
“We had a girl,” she said. “That’s an advantage.”
But even though her team’s tower was tallest, it didn’t win. Nobody did, because, as camp counselor Rema Hord points out, none of the groups followed all the instructions.
That’s all right, said 14-year-old Darrel Pullie, because the 6th graders “copied” his team’s design. Heard said it wasn’t copying, it was improving.
“There are car tires, but there are like 30,000 different types, aren’t there,” he said.
Heard, Hord and the third academic instructor Ronnell Heard are all teachers at Amani Christian Academy. The arts instructors, who this year are focusing on music, poetry and spoken word, include a local music producer and a member of the band “Pretty Ricky.”
“We want them to build on their academic skills and make sure nothing is lost over the summer,” said Heard. “I tell them always shoot for the moon. So, if you miss, you’ll still hit a star.”
The camp currently has 65 kids signed up, five more than last year. It has room for 70. The cost for the three month program is $300, but the HRA is working to get sponsors for families that cannot afford the program.
(For more information contact Rodney Heard at 412-736-4779.)
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