SciCamp - Science Holiday Camps

Employment within science, technology and health sectors is expected to grow in the next decade. Promoting awareness of the many career options available in these fields is important for today s youth.
 
   The lack of technicians is seen to be not only a national, but also an EU-wide problem and a competition among the economical centres of the worl). As one answer to this problem parallel to school education various out-of-school activities were established. Research shows a positive aspect of these activities concerning the interest, the motivation and possible career decisions of young people.   Among those activities science camps were established through various organizations., most of them conducted in holidays. The objective of these camps is not only to recruit more young people for a career as scientist or technician, but also to raise the scientific literacy. In many EU countries various organizations (companies, universities, science centre and public organizations) are conducting science camps. The number of especially scientific summer camps has been growing over the last decade.   Most science camps are designed to provide positive learning experiences for the participants, strengthen the intrinsic value that youth place on science, and increase the awareness of the diverse opportunities available in science, technology and health. The principles used to reach these goals is to allow youth to interact with positive role models, student centred teaching, and connecting science, technology and health to the live of youth. 
In summary most science camps are driven by the wish to activate and engage students and to convince them through fascinating experiments, laboratory work and the contact to experts. This contact enables an education within science, technology and health.