Canisius College Summer Science Camp: Combining Science and Education Experts To Increase Middle School Students' Interest in Science

The Canisius College Summer Science Camp is a successful and effective annual outreach program that specifically targets middle school students in an effort to increase their interest in science. Five broadly defined science topics are explored in a camp-like atmosphere filled with hands-on activities. A 2010 module focused on chemistry topics of crystallization, chemiluminescence, chromatography, indicators, and differences between polar and nonpolar substances. The camp operates as a partnership between chemistry and education faculty by serving as a practicum for the Differentiated Instruction Master's Degree Program in Education at Canisius College, effectively combining the skills of professionally certified teachers with those of science-content experts. The authors believe that this successful and self-sustaining model can be adopted at many other institutions.