Technology is more than just computers.
That’s a message that about 30 young students are learning in a unique way this week at the ASPIRE technology camp held at the IBM Canada office on Riverside Drive.
ASPIRE — which stands for A Smarter Planet Is Reachable for Everyone — aims to give kids a better understanding of how technology impacts our lives, what they can do with it and how it can be applied to different fields, said camp co-chair Deb McKay.
McKay said the camp is designed to keep the kids moving and engaged in different activities.
One activity involved making homemade ice cream and learning about the chemical processes involved in that. The kids also learned to extract DNA from fruit using common household ingredients.
“You add alcohol to a cup, and then a bunch of fizzy stuff and that turns it into a gloop,” said Muna Atef, describing the process.
The free camp is run by local IBM volunteers, and aimed at encouraging young people to develop an interest in math, science, technology and engineering.
“We’re learning to make the world a smarter place,” said Meron Samuel, who is entering Grade 7 at Glashan Public School.
