Shelter Island Camp Lets Kids Mingle With Scientists

Summer camp isn't just about mosquito bites and s'mores anymore.

Today's camps offer kids a way to explore new horizons and fuel their passions. This year, Sigma Camp comes to Camp Quinipet on Shelter Island -- bringing a passel of scientists to provide an eye-opening and diverse learning experience for kids 11 through 15.

Sigma Camp will be offer a "unique synergy of science summer camp and fully equipped laboratories, where research is led by active, well published, and world renowned scientists from MIT, Harvard, Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and other similarly accredited institutions from around the world," according to organizers.

"I succeeded in my academic career thanks largely to the great education and exposure to the wonders of science that I received early in my childhood," Alexander Abanov, a Sigma Camp instructor and a professor at Stony Brook University and Simons Center for Physics and Geometry, said. "I am convinced that educating kids fully and thoroughly in a real scientific research environment is essential to their overall development and future growth". 

Budding researchers will be able to delve into their main area of interest and branch out into additional scientific arenas.

Plus, there will be camp experiences a'plenty, including campfires, board games, and talks on topics including art, history, origami, and film. And, on the agenda will be a full slate of summertime activities, including swimming and outdoor sports.

Many Sigma Camp instructors have worked at a weekend enrichment program, School Nova, at Stony Brook University, for the past nine years.