Science camp for rural high schoolers goes virtual

For over ten years, rural high school students have come to Madison to take part in the Rural Summer Science Camp at the Morgridge Institute.

This year, the camp will still take place virtually.

“We still wanted to find ways that people all across Wisconsin could connect with the scientists here in Madison,” said Dan Murphy, the Senior Lab and Outreach Coordinator for the Morgridge Institute of Research.

Through Zoom video calls, students will be able to listen to scientists talk about their careers and work on experiments.

“Their struggles in science, the excitements in science, and to be those role models for the science interested students that maybe have never met a scientist before,” Murphy said.

Because of the digital experience, the camp was able to register over 100 students and involve teachers too.

Murphy says teachers enjoy the program to get ideas for their fall classes.

“It kind of reinvigorates their curriculum,” said Murphy. “In the past that they are just so inspired in hearing about what’s going on right now and what science they could bring that’s happening in Madison into their classrooms.”

The researchers will cover a broad range of topics from to medical engineering to the metabolism of cancer cells.

“Kids are out of the classroom and scientists are out of the lab,” said Murphy. “We’re all trying to make it work together and I think that’s going to be really cool.”

The camp will be held every Wednesday throughout the next two months starting on Wednesday, June 24.

The students and teachers are registered for free through the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance and the Upward Bound program. The Morgridge Institute is still accepting applications for interested rural schools.

To learn more about the program,