52-4 WELCOMing Autistic Students to the Geosciences with The Sky’s the Limit STEM Camp; a Partnership Between UW-Madison’s Center for Climatic Research and Welty Environmental Center in Beloit, WI

Session: Geoscience Outreach Efforts to Broaden Participation, Part II

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Abstract:

The Sky’s the Limit STEM camp, a partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research and Welty Environmental Center, is a day camp for autistic teenagers. For the last four summers, on six consecutive Fridays, this camp has offered nature-based activities that engage neurodiverse middle- and high school students and encouraged them to consider geoscience for college and a career. 

Each summer, about 20 students plus their caregivers have come to the Center and followed a curriculum that draws from NASA’s GLOBE program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment). Campers do such activities as water quality measurements, heat mapping with a rover, and soil profiling,  which are combined with Welty favorites such as geocaching, creating clouds in a jar, and skittle art. The camp is run by Welty and UW staff, as well as a group of trained helpers who work one-on-one with campers during the afternoon. Activities are vetted by an advisory board, consisting of both therapists and autistic science professionals, to guarantee the schedule is welcoming and appropriate.

Student and caregiver response is enthusiastic. One current helper who attended as a camper for three years prior noted that these camps were his favorite time of the year. Another parent said: “STL is the first and only camp I've seen dedicated to autistic youth. In a world where we always feel like an outsider, STL created a safe environment where the kids can be free to be themselves in a judgement-free space. My teen made friends, participated, and made connection for the first time.”

The first three years of the camp were funded by a National Science Foundation GEOPAths grant, as part of a project called WELCOME that encouraged underrepresented students in the School District of Beloit (67% minority, 72% low-income) to consider geoscience careers. Camp is now supported by the Read Coakley Family Foundation

This session will offer strategies for designing and implementing a nature-based science camp for autistic teens, including: developing university and non-profit partnerships, cultivating expert advice on curriculum topics, finding funding, and recruiting campers and their families.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-7852

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