Enhance your science learning and achieve an understanding of a variety of topics to prepare for STEM design competitions. Students will be given a series of challenges and will cooperate to design and build machines, structures, and devices that can solve real-world problems. The camp integrates resources from the current British Columbia curriculum and supplemental teaching and exercise materials from the instructor. By the end of the camp, students will possess a detailed understanding of the course topics, skills in designing and building tools and experiments and have a broader understanding of careers in STEM. Let’s have fun and see how exciting science can be!
When and Where?
Monday July 21 - Friday July 25, 2025.
Choose from:
Morning (Half Day) Camp: 9:00am-12:00noon.
Afternoon (Half Day) Camp: 1:00-4:00pm.
Full Day Camp: 9:00am-4:00pm.
Location: The Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology (VISST): 1490 West Broadway, Vancouver.
Who?
This camp is for students going into grades 5-8.
Why should you attend?
Design your own machines, structures and devices and develop collaboration and communication skills working in teams with your peers and friends.
Prepare for science and engineering design competitions.
Get a thorough understanding of what type of careers are available in the exciting fields of STEM.
Earn a certificate of completion from the Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology.
What will you learn?
Below is an outline of topics to be covered in the camp. More focus and emphasis may be placed on topics based on student interest and understanding.
Morning Camp (Half Day):
Space Science
Topics: Radio Astronomy; SETI – The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence; Space Telescopes; Careers in Space Science.
Design Challenge: Space probe lander
Chemistry
Topics: The States of Matter, Solids, Liquids, Gases, and Plasma; Bose-Einstein Condensates; Kinetic Molecular Theory; Pressure; Careers in Chemistry
Design Challenge: Balloon powered device
Physics
Topics: Newton’s Laws of Motion; Mechanical Energy; Trajectories; Careers in Physics
Design Challenge: Ping-Pong ball canon
Afternoon Camp (Half Day):
Physics
Topics: Wind turbines; Kinetic energy; Mechanical Energy; Lift and drag; Careers in Physics
Design Challenge: Wind-powered elevator
Earth Science, Engineering and Technology
Topics: The Earth’s Layers; Continental Drift; Plate Tectonics; Earthquakes and Volcanoes; Careers in Earth Sciences
Design Challenge: Earthquake-resistant Building
Biology and Environmental Sciences
Topics: Terrestrial Biomes; Tropical Rainforests; Savannas, Deserts; Boreal Forests/Taiga; Arctic Tundra; Prescribed Burns; Careers in Environmental Science
Design Challenge: Keeping Warm, Build a Shelter
Full Day Camp:
The full day camp includes all topics from the Morning and Afternoon (Half Day) camps. Students who register for the Full Day camp should bring their own lunch and snacks. Lunch is from 12-1pm and is supervised by our staff and volunteers.
Program Requirements
Course materials will be provided by the instructor before each session on Google Classroom.
Students should bring their own electronic devices (tablets or laptops) and a booklet for writing and drawing designs with pencils, pens, and markers.
Camp Instructor
Brady Mymko
Brady is a science teacher in Vancouver, British Columbia. His love of nature, wildlife, hiking, and teaching has brought him here to explore the outdoors and build a community that is environmentally conscious. He is very interested in the latest advancements in engineering, biotechnology, and neuroscience.
“Please, never be afraid to show me something you have found that is interesting and exciting in the wonderful world of science and technology.” Outside of academics, Brady has been involved with many different sports including soccer, volleyball, and hockey. He enjoys reading, writing, and playing games, and looks forward to hearing about the clubs, sports, and activities you all participate in. “I am excited to learn from each other. Let’s have a great summer!”
Fees and Registration
If the fee is a barrier to your participation, a limited number of bursaries are available for eligible families - please email camps@visst.ca to inquire.
Refund policy: Email us at least 1 weeks (7 days) prior to the start of the camp for a full refund.
Cancellation policy: VISST reserves the right to cancel camps and refund camp fees due to low enrolment. In this event, we will provide as much advance notice as possible.
Testimonials
“Brady’s science camps and tutoring brought science to life for my son. He has encouraged Cleavon to investigate deep levels of biology and shared great books for him to read. Their science competition team ended up winning a national science competition for their engineering design challenge!”
— Cleavon’s mom
“I liked how we could make things with people as a team. I feel like I'm friends with most of the people on my team, and we used all of our diverse skills to make our final product. I enjoyed presenting our invention, and showing others how it works. As a student who is very busy, I was glad to have lots of time to build and express my creativity.”
— Jin
“I had a blast in our science competition camp. We made a series of designs for different topics and created our own companies, logos, and slogans. We ended up winning the engineering challenge competition!”
— Nathan