Learning Journey to Sciquarium

Today, we took our learning journeys (basically a field trip to somewhere around camp), and I loved it. My learning journey was going to the zoo and Sciquarium. We saw a lot of animals and I realized that all the animals here, in this amazing local North Carolina zoo, were brought there under the wing of caring zoo employees. When it was in trouble, the zookeepers came to its rescue. I think it's a great idea to have animals in a zoo where the wildlife and predators weren't successful in their home environment. If we just take custody of them for no reason, then that could possibly ruin the relationships in the animal's natural area. If people did this more often, the animal kingdom would be much better compared to how it is now.

Post by Student Leader Megan

Nanotech is Astounding

 Today, I had the privilege of visiting the Nanotech center for Wake Forest University. In the center, it was fascinating to learn about the technology of the future based on the chemistry practices we currently already know. There were many demonstrations of nano technology given, such as a “bubble” that could potentially be used to be injected into cancer patients to connect to the cancer cells and over heat them as well. These bubbles were developed through nano technology, manipulating the structure of atoms, and should be expected to finalize and fully develop within the next twenty years, eliminating the factor of harmful side effects that cancer treatment usually brings. There were also other useful technologic developments, such as lightweight lights that can be completely two dimensional, creating energy conservation and a brighter light projected as well. Surprisingly, these two very different future concepts were started the same way! Through a very specific microscope to examine, change and align molecular structure to design an all new structure to behave differently than traditional molecular structures. Based on the alignment created, this can determine how the newly developed nano technology will function. In the picture below, this microscope is one of those molecular microscopes that can create new nano technology. Estimated cost of this microscope is around 3 million dollars, and is often used very meticulously. I was astounded to see such a large, complex microscope, yet at the same time I wanted to know everything about it!  It was quite a bit of information to process, but after getting my questions of future impact answered, I understand that these new developments will be more sustainable in energy conservation, saving money, and ultimately progressing and revolutionizing humanity and the physical issues that we deal with, the concrete global issues, the most important things in our world.

Post by Student Leader Kylin

A trip to the Zoo

I chose to explore the Greensboro Science Center for the learning journey. The zoo had many animals that we got to see up close such as this stunning tiger. There was a team of college students experimenting with a monkey to train him to play target-and-match, see picture attached. It is fascinating to learn about animal cognition and their capabilities. Sometimes I wonder if they understand how much humans are damaging our co-inhabited planet.

Most of the species in the aquarium and zoo are endangered. Animals are caged in this zoo or confined to a tank in the aquarium, but it is sad to think that they are probably doing better in the tank or cage than in their natural habitats as a result of our unsustainable actions. I know that coming to this camp always broadens my ways of thinking and adds confidence in my mission to take and encourage sustainable action.

Post by Student Leader Jayaram

Next Generation Research

A pretty fancy microscope! 

Today following our Core Modules, everyone at camp embarked on different Learning Journeys across the town of Winston Salem. While some of the Tahoma Team went to the Zoo or the Renolda Arts Center, Kylin and I ventured to the Nano Center. While there, we got a first hand look into the progression of multiple revolutionary inventions that could possibly be sold within the next 20 years. For example, we heard from a young physics major working on a project that would allow doctors to inject a "bubble" type substance with a heat generating chemical that could accurately be sent to the area of a cancerous tumor within the body, and then release the chemical to effectively burn up the cancer cells. The invention was even tested on a rat and within one day, the tumor had entirely dissipated. Overall the level of intelligence, patience and hard work that goes into the process of innovating these products is astounding and I am looking forward to seeing them benefit people world wide in the near future. 

Post from Student Leader Kathryn

Game On!

While presenting on the Tahoma School District the day before Tracy Benson, Program Manager for Systems Thinking in Schools - Waters Foundation, advised me to really pay attention today morning to Nancy Conrad and the winning team's story. She thought that it would be a great fit for our Tahoma team. I had already heard about it directly from Nancy Conrad when she presented to my class on innovation. But today morning she presented to the entire Camp and the winning team let us in on some hints. It was inspiring to hear about the story of her husband and why the competition was created. Clearly the most enthusiasm for the project came from the Tahoma team, who asked the most questions. The project is very comprehensive as they require both a scientific and business justification. But Tahoma has prepared us for a challenge like this, and I want to take this one on!

Post by Student Leader, Jayaram

Innovation Challenge!

Married to the 3rd man to land on the moon, Nancy Conrad has started the Spirit of Innovation Competition in his honor. The challenge forces you to use systems thinking. Nancy wondered why high school students couldn't do amazing things. So the competition allows students to create innovative products as a team to better humanity. The team that won this year was actually from NC, they created an air-quality detector. This device could detect the ozone in the air. Ozone's presence can actually increase the chance for death through lung inflammation. Tahoma is a school that is so far advanced in sustainability and systems thinking that this challenge is something that we could take on!

Post by Student Leader, Jayaram

It's the Little Things!

Today was day two of our core module classes. Today during that class we self directed our learning by creating our very own lesson to teach to the adults in the class. While reviewing the lesson we chose to teach with the leader of our class, Kylin was playing with a ladybug she found at the table we were sitting at. I was watching the ladybug as it crawled through Kylin's fingers I had the greatest 'Ah ha' moment I think I have ever experienced. I realized that if we are going to care for nature at all, we need to care for the little things too, not just the big things that seem more important. Sometimes the little things that we don't see are the most life threatening. We need to care for all of nature or it doesn't even matter if we do anything at all.

Post by Student Leader Megan