Saltwater taffy, ice cream and mini golf expand STEM skills for students in the 21st Century Gifted and Talented STEM camp
Ocean City, N.J. – Ice cream, saltwater taffy and mini golf are staples of summer, but Ocean City Intermediate School (OCIS) students saw them in a whole new light during a recent camp program.
Students in the OCIS Gifted and Talented program visited local businesses for experiences that expanded their knowledge of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
The 21st Century Gifted and Talented STEM day camp sessions were led by Ocean City School District teachers Abigal Handshaw (OCIS), Maura Cook (Ocean City High School) and Deepa McCabe (Ocean City Primary School).
“We are thrilled our students were able to dive deeper into their love of STEM through this valuable program,” said Dr. Christian Angelillo, Superintendent of Schools. “We appreciate our local businesses for teaching the students the importance of community as well as encouraging their passion for learning.”
During the first week of camp, students in fifth and sixth grades explored STEM through summer treats. George’s Candies’ employees shared their ice-cream-making expertise with the students, teaching them the intricate chemistry that is used to form the sweet treat. The students learned how cream, sugar, and stabilizers interact to create smooth textures, and how freezing techniques affect crystal formation. They also saw how mixing and freezing work together to transform simple ingredients into creamy delights.
Shriver's Saltwater Taffy and Fudge donated saltwater taffy kits the students used to build “taffy towers.” As they stretched the sticky candy into architectural wonders, they applied engineering principles such as structural stability, balance, and tension while discovering how material properties influence design.
For the second week, seventh and eighth grade students were invited to Congo Falls Adventure Golf to learn how science, technology, engineering and math are used to design creative mini golf courses. After receiving insight from the experts about mini golf construction and enjoying lunch at Prep’s Pizza, the students headed back to the woodshop at OCIS to build courses with unique obstacles.
Using coding kits, they engineered moving parts that brought their designs to life, applying programming skills to control motion and timing. The STEM camp culminated with a thrilling mini golf competition, where students showcased their creative courses and celebrated their innovation and teamwork.
“Using summer treats for fun, hands-on lessons make education exciting and entertaining,” said Matthew Engle, principal at OCIS. “Through this program, our students are discovering important STEM knowledge while enjoying all the season offers."