A Teacher in Training

How can STEAM summer camps help your child to grow socially? You already know that STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) and STEM summer learning camps can help your child to build academic and critical-thinking skills. But these programs can also help your young learner in other ways. Take a look at what you need to know about STEAM, summer camps, and social development.

Isn't STEAM a Solo Area of Study?

Your child already has an interest in STEAM and STEM. They've explored science, technology, engineering, art, and math at school—in solo or independent ways. Even though students often study STEAM and STEM concepts individually in traditional academic environments, this type of content doesn't always require children to learn or work alone. 

There is no rule stating that children must sit at desks, in front of computers, or behind books alone to learn about STEAM and STEM. Group or collaborative learning approaches are perfectly acceptable methods to dive deep into these subjects.

Why Do Some STEAM and STEM Programs Use A Collaborative Approach? 

Whether your child studies biology, chemistry, calculus, or computers, they can learn either independently or collaboratively. According to a research review published in the journal Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, collaborative learning can help to build support systems for students, increase the understanding of diversity, create a positive educational atmosphere, encourage students to practice cooperation, reduce anxiety, promote critical thinking skills, and more.

While every STEAM or STEM camp is different, and some may not use a collaborative approach, camps are often divided into age-graded groups. This provides your child with the chance to learn and collaborate with students who are in the same grade or are in the same age range. The like-aged groups help children to feel comfortable in a collaborative setting—especially if this type of social environment is new to the young student.

What Are the Social Benefits of STEAM and STEM Camps?

Now that you know more about the academic (and other) benefits of collaborative learning and why STEAM or STEM camps may use this type of approach, it's time to take the next step and discover how these summer programs can help your child to grow socially. 

Not only can a summer camp setting help your child to learn new educational concepts and build cognitive skills, it can also lead to new friendships with children who have similar interests. A specialty camp, such as a STEAM or STEM program, brings together students who enjoy science, tech, engineering, art, and math subjects. This gives your child the chance to meet (and become friends with) students who enjoy the same types of educational concepts or have similar career goals—such as being a computer programmer or marine biologist.

To find out more about STEAM or STEM summer camps, contact a company such as Galileo Learning.