This story was originally posted on June 4, 2025

Incoming middle school students across Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD are spending the beginning of summer break building, inventing, testing and collaborating at the district’s 2025 Middle School Discover STEM Camp, held June 2–5.

Open to EMS ISD students entering grades 6–8, the four-day camp offers a fast-paced lineup of hands-on labs, engineering challenges, design activities, and real-world science investigations. From constructing catapults to wiring Rube Goldberg machines, students stretch their imaginations and sharpen their problem-solving skills, all while learning to collaborate with peers from other campuses.

One highlight was the inclined plane waterslide challenge, where students explored how simple designs affect speed and motion. They tested their designs, then adjusted angles, folds, and friction to improve performance.

“We needed to give it friction so it would slow down and make the turn towards the end of the slide,” explained Adrian Fantana, a rising seventh grader at Prairie Vista Middle School, describing how his team engineered a paper slide system.

Lisa Craft, one of the STEM camp instructors, said the challenges are designed to promote critical thinking and creative teamwork.

“It makes the kids think and problem solve and have cooperation with other kids they don’t know from other schools,” she said. “These are foundational skills they can carry into high school competitions, can use to obtain scholarships and eventually careers. We want them to like science more, because we want them to be successful in life.”

Campers also constructed pulleys for flagpoles, launched mini catapults during a five-minute challenge, and designed roller coasters using basic physics principles. One of the most complex and entertaining challenges is building a working Rube Goldberg machine that will successfully light a bulb.

“Basically, we figured out if we can balance the spoon on the clothespin and roll the marble, the spoon will hit the dominoes, which will hit our turbine, which hits a paper ball down a ramp, and that hits another domino that flips a switch to light up the light,” said Isabelle Winter, a rising sixth grader at Marine Creek Middle School.

By the end of the week, these young scientists will have a toolbox full of STEM experiences, and perhaps a spark that will light up their futures.

Find out about more EMS ISD summer camp opportunities at www.emsisd.com/summercamps.