Sierra STEM Summer Camps
In July/August 2023, Sierra STEM is thrilled to be partnering with local non-profit organizations in Mono County to offer three unique outdoor education and science enrichment experiences just for Mono County children. All three programs will be based out of June Lake & the Mono Basin and designed/facilitated by local parent and scientist (and founder of Sierra STEM) Dr. Neal Fox.
“My Environment & Me” Camp
This camp is sold out, but please join the waitlist…
How did our mountains form? What microscopic critters live within our lakes? And what can I do to take care of the environment? Our youngest participants will explore these questions and more as we visit familiar places around June Lake, but with a new perspective. Our goal is to inspire curiosity and help young scientists learn about how their local ecosystem works, and how they fit into it.
Ages: 6-9 (Grades 1-4)
Dates: July 12-14, 2023 (9 am - 2 pm daily)
Location: June Lake Community Center
Fee: $30 (scholarships available; see information below)
Healthy snacks provided; participants should bring a bag lunch
Brain Camp
This camp is sold out, but please join the waitlist…
How do eyes and tongues process and send information to the brain? What does a brain look and feel like? How do we remember, pay attention, and understand language? Participants will begin to answer these questions by conducting simple sensory and psychology demonstrations, dissecting real eyeballs and brains, and designing/testing psychology experiments.
Ages: 10-14 (Grades 5-9)
Dates: July 24-28, 2023 (9 am - 4 pm daily)
Location: Lee Vining Community Center
Fee: $40 (scholarships available; see information below)
Lunch and healthy snacks provided
Water Ecology Camp
This camp is sold out, but please join the waitlist…
Snowpack, rain shadow, wildfires, LADWP diversions…what do all of these things have to do with our East Side ecosystems? During this camp, participants will explore all of these topics in order to understand California’s most precious resource: water. Participants will get dirty (and wet!) during hands-on water experiments and site visits to Mono Lake, Fern Lake, and DeChambeau Creek.
Ages: 10-14 (Grades 5-9)
Dates: July 31 - August 4, 2023 (9 am - 4 pm daily)
Location: Gull Lake Park (transportation from Gull provided)
Fee: $40 (scholarships available; see information below)
Lunch and healthy snacks provided
Registration Information
Registration Process:
All registrants must complete the Registration Form (linked here or using the “Register Now” buttons above).
Within 48 hours of completion of the Registration Form, registrants will receive an email including:
a link to a Liability Waiver, and
information about how to pay the registration fee (or request a scholarship).
In order for their registration to be complete, registrants must (1) complete the waiver AND (2) pay the registration fee OR request a scholarship (see information below).
June 23rd is the deadline for registration, completion of the liability waiver, and payment (or requesting a scholarship).
Questions: If you have questions about any of these summer programs, call or text Lauren Greenwood at 415-420-0221.
Scholarships: Scholarships to cover registration fees are available upon request. Call or text Paul McFarland at 760-709-1093.
What to Bring: All participants should bring a backpack, water bottle, hat, and sunscreen/sunglasses. Participants in each camp should bring clothing appropriate for outdoor activities (think: layers!), including comfortable hiking shoes. Participants in the “My Environment & Me” Camp (ages 6-9) should bring a bag lunch for each day of the program.
What is Provided: Healthy snacks and opportunities to fill participants’ refillable water bottles will be provided throughout all programs. Lunch is provided for Brain Camp and Water Ecology Camp (ages 10-14). All materials for experiments and hands-on demonstrations will be provided, as well as notebooks and pens/pencils. For the Water Ecology Camp, transportation to off-site locations from Gull Lake Park will be provided.
Daily Itinerary: Details of the Daily Itinerary will be shared with registrants via email prior to the start of each program.
Behavioral Expectations: All participants are expected to engage in all activities in an appropriate, respectful, and safe manner.
These programs are made possible thanks to generous financial support from the following local partners:
