This program introduces youth in care (YIC) to the joys of doing science. It is designed and run by a group of scientists who are passionate about science and about young people. We recognize that youth in care, whether that's foster care, a group home, the home of a relative, or a shelter, face extra obstacles in becoming involved in science and in participating in summer camps in general, so we developed a program especially for them.
The Bonanza Creek Science Adventure Camp (June 17-June 21, 2019) is for ALL campers.
The Denali Science Adventure Camp (June 1-3, 2019) is for experienced campers.
If you are interested in participating (as a camper, instructor,
or in any capacity), please contact Christa Mulder at
cpmulder@alaska.edu or 907-474-7703.
NEW in 2019: We will be inviting selected experienced campers to
participate as Junior Counselors. This will allow youth to build expand
their skills and build their resume. We're very excited about this new
program!
The Program Director, Dr. Christa Mulder, and the Co-Director, Dr.
Katie Spellman, are biologists with experience in science education and
working with vulnerable youth. In designing this program they
collaborated with four additional instructors with a wide range of
expertise in science and working with youth. To find out more about the
instructors, click
here.
We also consulted extensively with our "Advisory Board", a group that
includes people from social service agencies, youth advocates, and
foster parents. If you have ideas, questions, or concerns, please
contact us.
Who funds this program?
Primary funding comes from the National Science Foundation, as part of a
grant to the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research Site
(BNZ-LTER). We also receive some instructor support from a NASA grant. This support is sufficient to
sustain a small program for five years; we anticipate applying for
grants to expand our program in the future.
