24-3 Science Camps as Identity-Building Spaces: Implications for Sustained Operational Excellence

Session: Transforming Geoscience Education: Reimagining how we teach the Earth (Posters)

Presenting Author:

Authors:

Abstract:

Seasonal science education programs face persistent challenges related to high participant and staff turnover, which limits institutional knowledge and can impact long-term educational outcomes. Sternberg Science Camps addresses these issues by intentionally cultivating a pipeline of students who return for multiple summers and transition into staff roles. Program offerings emphasize continued engagement beyond the camp experience through structured opportunities to contribute to ongoing research projects and engage with the alumni community on social media. We analyzed data from 2022-2025 to quantify patterns of returning student participation, complemented by interviews with student participants who later became or are interested in becoming staff. The interviews specifically explored motivations for returning, perceptions of belonging, and pathways into leadership roles. Preliminary results suggest that multi-year engagement strengthens participants’ identity as scientists, and perceptions of themselves as confident, capable young professionals. By retaining staff across multiple seasons, camps preserved institutional knowledge that led to the refinement of operational best practices. This continuity aligns with consistently high evaluations from students and parents and underscores the role of community stability in sustaining program quality.

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