The Windy Ridge Foundation Astro Camp is scheduled June 15-21 on the UW campus.
Twenty-four students, who will be entering seventh or eighth grade this fall, will
be selected to participate. Here, Kaitlyn Schultz (left), a UW astrophysics major
from Sheridan and a camp counselor, along with camper Katelyn Cortez, of Riverton,
prepare for analysis of a DNA sample taken from the inside of their cheeks. (Max Gilbraith
Photo)
Select middle school students will have an opportunity this summer to explore traveling
to and colonizing planets during the Windy Ridge Foundation Astro Camp June 15-21
on the University of Wyoming campus.
Campers, who will be entering seventh or eighth grade this fall, will be chosen based
on demonstrated interest and academic potential in math, science, engineering and
space. As part of the application process, students must submit written essays on
why they want to attend the science camp.
“All kids should have opportunities to follow their dreams, and Astro Camp provides
that for those who love space,” says Danny Dale, director of Astro Camp and the Harry
C. Vaughan Professor of Astronomy in the UW Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Twenty-four students from all backgrounds and economic statuses will be selected.
Participants will be selected with a goal of having an equal number of male and female
campers. Dale says he is considering expanding eligibility to students beyond Wyoming,
Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota.
“This year, I’m planning on allowing students from any state to apply,” says Dale,
who still expects most campers to come from Wyoming.
The camp is free to selected participants. On-campus housing and dining will be provided
for attending students.
The application deadline is Wednesday, April 30, but applications submitted by Thursday,
May 8, will be considered, pending camp capacity. To apply, go here.
Once again, campers will take field trips to two local mountain ranges -- Vedauwoo
and the Snowy Range.
On the Vedauwoo hike, students will be challenged to consider they are exploring another
planet and to find examples of food and shelter. Students also will be tasked with
identifying various plant specimens, and to collect water samples from a beaver pond
for later purification and analysis by microscope for signs of life, Dale says.
On the Snowy Range hike, campers will learn about the differences in plant life at
different elevations.
“The extreme conditions at high elevations in the Snowies are similar to some of the
extreme conditions elsewhere in the solar system and, so, perhaps there are living
'extremophiles' elsewhere in the solar system,” Dale says.
In addition to Dale, the camp includes three in-service Wyoming science teachers;
five UW undergraduate students who will serve as camp counselors; and Max Gilbreath,
coordinator of UW’s Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium, who serves as the camp’s assistant
director.
“Our goal is for the participants to come away with an excitement for science, engineering
and math,” Dale says. “We also want them to know that it’s cool to be interested in
school and being smart. Finally, they should know that the process of science is just
an extension of their natural curiosity.”
In 2020, the Windy Ridge Foundation made a $250,000 gift to support the Windy Ridge
Foundation Astro Camp, which aims to educate the next generation of scientists and
engineers while introducing the K-12 community to science programs offered through
UW. The gift provided enough funding for five years of the camp, Dale says. This year’s
camp marks the fifth year of funding by Windy Ridge. In 2024, the Windy Ridge Foundation
committed to another three years of Astro Camp funding beyond the original five-year
commitment.
“We are fortunate to receive the continued support of the Windy Ridge Foundation and
to benefit from the original vision of Harry C. Vaughan, who was passionate about
STEM education,” Dale says.
