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Deep Dive: Students wade into oceanography at Museum of Aviation's STEM camp

The museum is keeping up a 14-year tradition.

The Museum of Aviation kicked off their annual STEM summer camps Monday. They've been hosting the camps for 14 years.

"This is our first week and it's going really well," said Clare Swinford, Director of the NASA Regional Educator Resource Center.

This year, the museum has 25 camps stretching across six weeks. According to Swinford, this is the largest number of camps to date.

"Each year we seem to add more," Swinford said.

There are sessions for all ages, from pre-school to 12th grade. The first week is all about 'Ocean Commotion.'

"The students are learning all about the ocean and the life in the ocean and how to take care of the ocean," Swinford said.

Rising 3rd-grader Ronan Hatfield learned how bioluminescent fish survive in the deep sea.

"Predators come along, they'll see the tail and think it's a little animal, they'll try to go for it, then it turns off, then it gives time for him to escape," said Hatfield.

Swinford said they want students to be able to problem solve.

"What we're hoping really with a lot of these camps is that the campers will learn not to just be users of technology but producers of technology," Swinford said.

Each week offers a wide variety of topics. Grades six through 12 will be learning how to build their own websites. There's also Robotics 101, Gizmos and Gadgets, and Space and Rocketry.

Local teachers come in on their summer break to teach the kids. Around 120 kids are expected to attend the camps each week.

"They love it because they're doing things. It's all hands on," Swinford said. "They get to explore and create and use their imagination."

A lot of parents keep coming back too, according to Swinford.

"They're always amazed -- the parents are -- when their kids are coming home and telling them about these things they're doing," Swinford said. "They're learning from their kids as well."

Camps run through the July 20. For more information, visit the Museum of Aviation website.

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