Young Chemist Summer Camp
My Project
I would like to launch a one-week Pueblo Science camp focused on chemistry. The camp will offer fun, hands-on educational activities guaranteed to lift a child’s enthusiasm for chemistry and science. Intended for children completing grades 1 to 6, the camp provides an opportunity to explore a variety of chemical reactions including cooking, polymerization and secrets of making cosmetics, all in an active, exciting environment!
Each day consists of a morning and afternoon session dedicated to a different topic, with breaks and outdoors activities to make the most of summer days. The children will get a chance to spend some supervised time outside, go on excursions to local places of interest around the university, and visit chemistry labs to interact with chemists doing cutting-edge research.
Students will be recruited in collaboration with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) as I have done for other camps that I have coordinated. Others will be recruited through the University of Toronto’s Family Care Office and Pueblo Science’s marketing efforts across the GTA.
The project will begin in May 2016. Two chemistry student interns will be hired to help us develop, prototype, and write instructional manuals for 20 experiments for the camp. They will work under the guidance of senior members of Pueblo Science with advanced degrees in chemistry.
Two instructors with strong science and education backgrounds will be hired to teach the children during the camp. They will be supported by volunteers who are typically undergraduate science or high school students.
Fundraising Target
$6,000 to provide full scholarships to 20 children from low-income families to attend Pueblo Science’s Young Chemist Summer Camp.
Date and Location of Training
July 24-28, 2017
University of Toronto
St. George campus
Downtown Toronto
Helping Students Access Extracurricular Activities
We would like to help 20 students in grades 4 to 6 attend a one-week camp in 2017 free of charge. We target students from low-income families across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) who would not be able to attend a camp without scholarships because their families cannot afford to send them.
Our goal is to encourage a lifelong love of learning and inquisitiveness through hands-on activities. Through our initiative, these children will now be able to appreciate chemistry and perhaps be inspired to become chemists developing exciting materials for clean energy production or new drugs to cure cancer.
Who Am I?
My name is Alon Eisenstein and I am Pueblo Science’s educational programs coordinator. Teaching has always been my passion and when I joined Pueblo Science in 2012, I was very excited to initiate the summer camp programs.
I received my Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Toronto and my M.Sc. in Chemistry from Ben Gurion University. I love to demonstrate and explain neat science experiments to all ages and I am a great supporter of promoting science education since science is all around us.
Where Your Donation Goes
| Cost ($) | Quantity | Total ($) | |
| Camp materials for 20 experiments | 100 | 20 | 2,000 |
| Materials for development of experiments | 60 | 20 | 1,200 |
| Venue rental | 1,000 | 1 | 1,000 |
| Printing of instructional manuals | 50 | 20 | 100 |
| Instructors | 600 | 2 | 1,200 |
| Marketing | 200 | 1 | 200 |
| Volunteer shirts and office materials | 200 | 1 | 200 |
| Car rental and gas for acquiring materials | 100 | 1 | 100 |
| Total Project Cost | $6,000 |
My Impact
The camp will directly impact 80 students per year. Based on previous camps held by Pueblo Science, I expect the following impact
- Students learn that Chemistry is fun and relevant
- Students are encouraged to do their own Chemistry experiments at home with their parents
- Students start sharing their experiments to their friends and classmates