Learning shouldn’t stop when kids go on vacation. Essential STEM skills at summer camps make your kids’ summer break more enriching and educational. 

Kids learn a lot at KidzToPros’ summer STEM camps that help them discover, create and interpret information in the world around them. However, it’s vital that students leave with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math skills that help set them up for a successful future. 

Read on to find out the seven most essential STEM skills students learn at summer camp – and why they’re so crucial.

1. Statistics

Almost every STEM subject and career requires an understanding of statistics. When they’re young, statistical data helps children understand more about the world.  It teaches them to accurately analyze elements of their lives by asking questions like “what?” “why?” “who?” and “how?” When they grow up, that same data helps them make sense of everything from health and wellness to finances and social media.

For example, learning about statistics provides kids a real-life demonstration about what ads they see on Snapchat or other social media networks – and why they see them. They begin to understand that they don’t just mindlessly click through content; rather, companies target them with particular ads based on what they’ve seen and liked previously. 

Students surrounded by data every day need to understand why that data is important, how it applies to them, and how to use it to make sense of the world. At KidzToPros’ summer STEM camps, kids gain statistical literacy that helps them become more knowledgeable adults in control of their world. 

2. Problem-Solving

We all solve problems on a daily basis: How to get everything done in a day; how to convince our kids they should eat their vegetables; how to choose the right car to fit our family’s needs. 

Learning to solve problems benefits everyone, including our kids. 

When kids understand how to approach and solve problems – in any setting – it benefits them in several ways:

• Their relationships with other people improve. Students learn to effectively communicate, debate and settle on new solutions that address the problems they encounter.
• Children learn to identify problems early on, which prevents them from becoming bigger problems later. This provides them the opportunity to analyze a situation, see what went wrong, figure out why, and make changes that positively affect the outcome.
• Problem solving boosts children’s cognitive development, allowing them to view situations from multiple perspectives – a valuable skill for collaboration. 
• Students often discover creative solutions to problems by digging deep, not just obvious ones. 

And guess what? All these lessons start at summer camp!

3. Creativity

Creative expression gives kids the chance to try out fresh, new ideas. Imaginations grow when they see the positive results of experimentation first-hand. 

Being creative also allows students to take what they enjoy, revise it in different ways and observe how things change. This grows their self-confidence as they see what they are capable of and how those abilities might affect their own lives or the lives of others.

Finally, creativity helps kids learn many different ways to express thoughts and emotions: verbally, non-verbally, through actions, body language or facial expressions. Different children excel at different types of expression, so using and observing creative expression helps kids understand one another better.

4. Argumentation

Argumentation, like any essential STEM skills, means stating opinions and using facts or reasonings to back them up. 

We know, we know: Kids love arguing! And who wants to listen to that, right? However, argumentation, when done constructively, can result in positive outcomes!

When students learn the art of effective argumentation, it helps them:

• Research
• Prepare
• Verbalize thoughts clearly 
• Believe in themselves 
• Value the art of persuasiveness 
• Hone their ability to express opinions and views
• Show confidence in themselves 

Arguing, or debating, also comes in handy for public speaking. Campers examine an issue from many sides, choose a perspective and facts that support it, and present their stance and the reasoning behind it to others. 

As they do so, kids also learn about the perspectives of others, learning to listen to peers’ thoughts and ideas attentively. 

See, aren’t better listeners worth a little constructive argument?

5. Intellectual Curiosity

When kids learn intellectual curiosity, boredom and trouble go right out the window. They begin entertaining themselves in a positive way and cultivating a more active mind. 

A KTP summer STEM camp experience promises this for your child: a way to learn about themselves and the world around them. At camp, kids solve their own problems and learn the value of persistence. They learn more, avoid easy answers, refuse to quit and think of others besides themselves. 

Curious children are observant children. They keep their minds busy watching others and learning from them. They’re also less likely to act selfishly, entitled or materialistic. These valued personality traits grow in importance as they move through school and beyond. 

6. Data-Driven Decision-Making

Isn’t this essential STEM skill a bit too complex for kids? Not at all! After all, we apply data everywhere we look. For example, we use it to choose what we wear, what we eat and what we drink every day. 

Data is all about patterns. At camp, children examine information, analyze patterns in it, interpret that information and make decisions based on it. This helps them better understand themselves and others.

It’s not just future STEM professionals that need to understand how data drives everything, either. Everyone who surfs the web, consumes content from media companies or buys food at the grocery store benefits from knowing what’s behind all that information – and how it causes people to make informed choices. 

Learning about data-driven decision-making at our camps is intriguing, game-based and fun! 

7. Flexibility

In an ever-changing world, open mindedness and flexibility are vital lessons we should teach our kids. If these last few years have taught us anything, it’s that plans only get us so far. We need to adjust and adapt as things change around us. And those who adapt quickly have an advantage over those who don’t.  

Children learn the ability to adapt to new situations by being flexible – and they learn flexibility by watching the adults around them consider others’ thoughts and ideas, improvise, maintain persistence, and learn the art of compromise.

Flexibility leads to success, which only gets more important as kids become adults.

Enroll Today

KTP summer STEM camps teach your student all these essential STEM skills and more. But they’re filling up quickly! 

Let us help your children grow into creative problem solvers, curious learners, effective decision-makers and flexible adults. Enroll your kids in KTP summer STEM camp today!