On a warm June Friday, day campers from Metcalf School were served red, ripe strawberries still cold from the chiller they were plucked from at a local grocery store earlier that morning.
But the tasty fruits weren’t a snack. The campers promptly smashed them into a chunky, syrupy, gelatinous goo.
Forty-three kids ranging in ages from 5 to 13 who attended Metcalf’s Camp Wildcat were treated to a day of programming provided by Illinois State University that included contributions from three College of Arts and Sciences units. The theme was “Careers in Science,” and Illinois State faculty, staff, and students were the campers’ teachers for the day.
Campers learned about flow rate and the movement of water at a water table with Dr. Lisa Tranel, an associate professor in the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment. They observed bees and crickets being studied in the lab of Dr. Ben Sadd from the School of Biological Sciences. And they pulverized strawberries to extract DNA in an experiment overseen by Mehrnoosh Bahmani from Illinois State’s Department of Chemistry.
“You take strawberries, you mush them up, and then you add some soap, water, salt, and isopropanol, and the DNA literally floats to the top,” explained Chemistry Stockroom Manager Aly Hearn ’13, who organized Illinois State’s efforts that day. “You can pick it up with a fork and hold DNA in your hands.”
Campers didn’t eat the leftover strawberry puree, but they ate up the programming offered by Illinois State volunteers that day.
“It was a great opportunity for our kids here to see what Illinois State has to offer,” said Metcalf Program Coordinator Nick Lisowski ’08. “At some point, these kids will be college students, and hopefully they discovered passions that maybe they’ll pursue here one day.”
“It was a great opportunity for our kids here to see what Illinois State has to offer.”
—Nick Lisowski ’08
Illinois State’s Department of Chemistry has partnered with Metcalf on summer camp programming for several years. Previous camp themes have centered on Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. This year’s theme allowed Hearn and a dedicated team of about 20 volunteers to provide even wider ranging activities.
Greenhouse Gardener Sophia Reavley ’23 led campers through the greenhouse in the Science Laboratory Building. Dr. Andrew Vidal-Gadea introduced kids to microscopic, fluorescent worms in his molecular neuroethology lab. Luke Ludwig ’22 guided them in building gliders made from paper and plastic straws. A trip to the Office of Sustainability included a tour of the new Vertical Farm at Illinois State University.
Hearn said focus was placed on showing campers the breadth of science as well as interconnectivity between the disciplines.
But there was also a focus on fun.
“It was kind of hard to get the kids to move from one station to the next. I had to keep saying, ‘It’s time to go. It’s time to go,’” Hearn said, laughing. “I think they were really enjoying themselves.”
Hearn was an ideal candidate to run point for the camp. Her first job after earning a bachelor’s degree at Illinois State was at the Children’s Discovery Museum in Uptown Normal.
“I love to talk to kids. I love to teach them,” she said. “I love to do all the fun demos and pique their interest in science without getting too heavy or worrying about grades or anything like that.”
Hearn said she saw that same passion in many of her fellow volunteers—Illinois State faculty, staff, and students—who led activities at the camp.
“I think it spoke volumes to our ‘Gladly we learn and teach’ motto,” Hearn said. “We’re all teachers. We’re all lifelong learners. We all enjoy those interactions with students, and we all want to help them learn.”
Read more stories from the College of Arts and Sciences at News.IllinoisState.edu/Unit/College-Arts-Sciences and follow the college on Facebook and Instagram.
