Sci-Quest can help teens beat the summertime blues

A Sci-Quest camper performs a chemistry experiment. (CONTRIBUTED)

HUNTSVILLE – Every summer, a ‘condition’ strikes teenagers, rendering them bored and blue. Luckily, camps at Sci-Quest Hands-on Science Center can cure the worst case of ‘summertime blues.’

For video game and app design, the “Gamers Laboratory I” camp is open to youth in grades 6-12. This camp will be held from July 7-11 from 9 a.m. to noon and costs $105.

Participants will learn the skills and processes to make their own video game. The camp also will cover gaming history. “You’ll get the chance to play the game and show off to other campers,” Sci-Quest Development and Marketing Director Jennifer Deermer said.

After completing “Gamers Laboratory I,” students entering grades 6-12 can advance to the next level with “Gamers Laboratory II.” Cost is $105. Camp dates are July 14-18 from 9 a.m. to noon.

“Campers will make multi-player games, talk level design and even talk to a real video game programmer,” Deermer said.

For three-dimensional modeling and simulation, the “Logon4_3D” (log on for three-dimensional) camp will have youth sketching, planning and building online 3D modeling programs.

“They’ll discover how 3D modeling software can help architects design buildings, engineers make bridges and video game designers make landscapes and futuristic habitats,” Deermer said.

Logon4_3D does not require previous experience. Cost is $105 for students entering grades 6-12. The camp will be held July 14-18 from 1 to 4 p.m.

“I Want to Work in a Lab Coat” will be held at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology on July 14-18 from 1 to 4 p.m. The camp for students in grades 8-12 will cost $150.

“Students who have completed seventh grade and the ‘Code of Life’ camp are eligible for ‘I Want to Work in a Lab Coat,” Deermer said. Campers will spend the week investigating the tools, techniques and science behind modern biotech careers.

Sci-Quest’s address is 1435 Paramount Drive. For more information, call 256-837-0606 or visit sci-quest.org.