Make Learning FUN again for Kids! By Dr. Vijay Apte
Do you agree that these days kids spend the vast majority of their time either in front of a screen or being shuffled from activity to activity? There’s something I’ve noticed over the last few years that bothers me: Most of the kids I see don’t really engage with others and they don’t ask that many questions anymore. While screen time and extracurricular activities are not inherently bad, there’s no space to tinker, explore, or get curious. And ultimately, we need kids to be curious about the world around them. Discoveries can’t be made when no one is asking questions. Science is all about questioning and discovering answers. Yes, that is a key aspect of science. Science is a way of investigating the natural world and trying to understand how it works. This process involves asking questions, making observations, and collecting data to test hypotheses and theories.
One of the main principles of science is that it is based on evidence and facts. Scientists seek to observe and measure the world around them, and they use rigorous methods to collect and analyze data. This allows them to build accurate and reliable knowledge about the world, and to test and refine their theories and ideas.
The scientific process also involves a sense of curiosity and a desire to understand the world around us. Scientists are constantly asking questions, seeking out new information, and looking for ways to improve our understanding of the world. This process of inquiry and discovery is what drives scientific progress and helps us learn more about the world and how it works.
Club Scikidz: Bringing an end to boring learning!
Recently, I was introduced to Club SciKidz, a one-of-a-kind educational summer camp for kids. For those unfamiliar with Club SciKidz, it is founded on the belief that academic enrichment should be exciting, challenging, and life-impacting. It is this belief that drives their real-world camp offerings, with topics such as emergency medicine, video game creation, forensics, veterinary medicine, food science, oceanography, special effects, paleontology, and more. This is not the “science class” of the 90s. We aren’t talking about periodic tables or long calculations here. This is science that your child will actually want to learn!
Club Scikidz runs well-balanced STEM-based science and technology programs at summer camps, after-school programs and in-school field trips. Club SciKidz is a place “Where Science and Technology Connect.” Their unique set of programs engages every child in his or her age group to realize their true potential as a scientist or geek!
Each summer Club SciKidz offers 70-plus themed camps for grades pre-K through 8th. Themes include Astronomy, Meteorology, Sea Adventures, Climate Change, Veterinary Medicine, Robotics, Marvel Stop Motion Animation, Save Our Oceans, Chemistry, Rocketry, American Doll, Wizarding World (Harry Potter), Medicine and Surgery to name a few.
Club SciKidz offers three different Minecraft Camps, ROBLOX, and Video Game Factory. They also have the best coding and programming camps, such as Kibo, Ozobot, Sphero and, of course, LEGO Robotics.
Each day campers start off with a spectacular science demonstration and then rotate through four classes that incorporate science, technology, art, and an exciting outdoor component.
Since Club SciKidz offers activities for kids that include science and technology, a lot of educated Indian-Americans have shown an enormous interest and started owning franchises.
For example, Dr. Abhi Rathi is the franchise owner of Club SciKidz in Richmond, Virginia. Abhi has a doctorate degree in molecular biology from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s degree in biochemistry, and a bachelor’s degree in pathology. After working in academics and later in the pharmaceutical industry, Abhi left the job market to concentrate on raising her young children.
While working with her own children, she realized she had an inner desire to teach them science and technology with a fun and interactive approach. She wanted to teach them in a way that would excite and engage them in learning about how everything, from living to nonliving things, works and about how we interact with machines. Abhi wanted them to explore how chemicals behave and how certain math and physics principles can be applied to simple and complex tasks. She soon found herself thinking of empowering all other children with such enrichment, and found a perfect partnership with Club SciKidz/Tech Scientific.
As a scientist, researcher and educator and as a mom with two young kids, Dr. Rathi understands the fundamental building blocks of a successful science and technology program for kids and teens!
Kavita Nigam from Hartford, Connecticut is another franchise owner of Club SciKidz. Kavita holds a master’s in business administration from the University of Hartford and a masters in project management from George Washington University. Kavita was looking for some activity that helps children identify what they find interesting in STEM and foster that interest into a lifelong passion. She is a firm believer that enjoying what you learn and working in a field that interests you ensures that nothing can stop you from achieving your goals.
Who Club SciKidz Serves
Club SciKidz is designed to enrich and challenge children ages 4 to 13. They offer half-day and full-day programs, and can accommodate extended hours for working parents. Drop-off is at 9 a.m. and pick-up is at 4 p.m.
Camp lessons are extensively researched by certified science educators, and your child is more inclined to be engaged, excited, and actually learning during those hot summer days.
please visit us at https://www.clubscikidz.
About the Author
Before his retirement, Dr. Apte was Associate Professor of Elementary Education & Early Child Education.
