Developing an Effective Summer Weather Camp at the University of Nebraska

This was the second year that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln hosted a summer weather camp, and the first year that the camp was a part of the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) CAREERs (Channeling Atmospheric Research into Educational Experiences Reaching Students) Weather Camp program. The theme for the camp this year was “Weather and Climate All Around Us.” The goals of the camp this year were as follows: (1) increase weather, climate and science literacy of Middle School and High School students; (2) to encourage bright, underrepresented students to consider science as well as meteorology and climatology careers through first-hand exposure to educational and career opportunities as observed through various professional presentations in the class room as well as field trip visits; (3) to increase the overall talent pipeline of students pursuing studies in science in general and within the files of meteorology and climatology, and, (4); to provide the students with an opportunity to learn how to conduct research through individual and group projects with access to our campus computational and academic facilities. Our camp this summer had 14 campers including five campers who were returning from last year. This paper will show how a weather camp can use feedback from the campers to help to improve the program in the future and one way to evaluate the weather camp.