This is the time of year that parents sign their kids up for summer camps.
There are more than just the traditional kinds of camps these days. Yes, you still have day camps, sports camps, band camps, Girl Scout camps.
But now technology camps are proving to be a popular option. Camps that let kids build, code, and fly.
Campers ages 11 to 17 actually build their own drones at Flymore Academy camps in North Carolina and Georgia. From wiring and soldering, to programming in preparation for lift off.
STEM and tech camps want kids to learn, but without it feeling like they're in school. The camps give kids hands-on experiences with things that interest them.
"They're not just playing video games in the summer right? They're learning how to make them," says Joy Meserve of iD Tech Camps.
iD Tech Camps serve kids ages 7 and up with locations nationwide, including here in Northeast Ohio at Case Western Reserve University. They teach skills that could lead to a career in technology.
"There are 2.4 million open STEM jobs in the U.S. alone right now," Meserve says. And with all of those jobs, iD Tech and other camps like it are trying to attract more girls.
Enrollments doubled over the last three years, but girls still make up less than 30% of campers
"We've got to spark that interest and nurture that interest, especially in girls," Meserve adds.
For more information about iD Tech Camps, click here. They also have camps at Ohio State and at Xavier University in Cincinnati.
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