Will Space Camp help hone my daughters interest in space education?

[rajeev_khanna]

<span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'TimesNewRoman'">My daughter is extremely interested in space, astronomy and other such stuff which I understand little about. Recently, she read about Space Camp, and it seems they get an opportunity to go to NASA and check out all those fantastic things there. Since then she has been pestering me to allow her to go. But before I promise her, I wanted to know more about it and how it might help her in future, after all its not small money we are talking about&hellip;</span>

 

[UFmbutler]

<br />It depends what you mean by hone her interest.&nbsp; If you are asking if it will make her more interested in space and more likely to pursue it, I'd say yes, probably.&nbsp; But if you are asking will it be useful later on, I think the material they teach is at a pretty basic level.&nbsp; In other words, I don't think it would be something to put on your college resume...although it might be something you could put in a personal statement kind of essay where you talk about what got you interested in what you want to study.&nbsp; That said, I think if she likes space then she'll enjoy the experience, so I'd say it'd be worth it if you can afford it.&nbsp; What space center is it at?&nbsp; Kennedy? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[arun_sinha]

Yes, it'll definitey help your child to know more about space and space studies. I recently read of a Space Camp that takes kids to the US Space and Rocket Center at Huntsville, Alabama. The project i presume is supported by NASA. When i went to their website http://spacecampindia.com/ to know more about the programme I was quite impressed with the way they integrate textual concepts with hands-on training. Kids here can experience realistic astronaut training like Zero-G Wall, Space Shot etc and also get a hang of maths physics and so on. I think it'll be quite an experience for any space lover and more so for kids. Perhaps it'll not be a point to mention on your CV but the lessons learnt from here would be far more effective than mere textbook and school learnings ... Just give it a shot!

 

[a_lost_packet_]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>My daughter is extremely interested in space, astronomy and other such stuff which I understand little about. Recently, she read about Space Camp, and it seems they get an opportunity to go to NASA and check out all those fantastic things there. Since then she has been pestering me to allow her to go. But before I promise her, I wanted to know more about it and how it might help her in future, after all its not small money we are talking about&hellip; <br /> Posted by rajeev_khanna</DIV></p><p>I think what really you have to look at is "enrichment."&nbsp; Will she learn a great deal of things that give her a knowledge base specific to "space, astronomy and tech stuff" that will help her excel in these studies later on?&nbsp; Well, it's not very likely.&nbsp; HOWEVER, that's not the point.&nbsp; It's not that this is a speed-course in such things even though she WILL learn a great deal about how Science is applied.</p><p>I think the benefit here is supporting her interests in very demanding areas of study.&nbsp; She'll be able to draw on her experiences in Space Camp for her entire life!&nbsp; She'll "know" the signficance of what she is studying in school because, after all, she's worked intimately with the results of that knowledge in a real, honest to goodness, working environment.&nbsp; Too often, you can't teach that in school.&nbsp; How would a school provide the types of hands-on experience she could get at Space Camp?&nbsp; They can't!&nbsp; Sure, they can take a school trip and visit for a day.&nbsp; But, that's entirely different than working with real, live, speaking and breathing astronauts and scientists and actually being able to be in a professional setting, working with some of the most advanced science the World has to offer!&nbsp; The"excitement" factor alone is priceless.&nbsp; How many other kids actually have a reason based on Experience to be excited about their science classes?</p><p>I say "Do it."&nbsp; It's supporting her interests and, more importantly, will be an experience she will use for the rest of her life.&nbsp; When others are lagging behind in their difficult studies because they don't have sufficient motivation, she can draw on her experiences at Space Camp and realize the significance of what she is studying in a practical sense.&nbsp; The money you spend there may have the most value of any money you spend providing for her further education.&nbsp; If you can afford it, there is definitely a good value received and I would encourage it. </p><p>IMO, there should be more opportunities for children like Space Camp.&nbsp; In fact, Education frequently doesn't do enough to promote a true, active interest in fields of study or professional endeavors.&nbsp; How would the face of Education change if students could experience working in, for instance, an R&D Lab for Engineering, Chemistry or Metalurgy?&nbsp; What about Geology or Aviation design?&nbsp; Architecture and Civil Engineering?&nbsp; There's a lot to be said for hands-on vocational studies. &nbsp; </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>