In partnership with Patrick County Public Schools and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, the Reynolds Homestead sponsored the third annual Challenge Camp for rising 4th to 8th grade gifted and talented students. Transportation was the theme for the camp focusing on the science, technology, engineering, art, and math that can be discovered when studying transportation.
The camp began on Monday, June 23, with a visit to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in Blacksburg. Students learned about the Smart Road used to test vehicles and drivers under different road conditions. Following a visit to the control tower, the students were allowed to ride their school bus on the Smart Road and take a tour inside the Smart Bridge located on the road.
On Tuesday, students went to the Martinsville Speedway where they learned about the changes in racing technology that have been made to keep drivers safe. The students took a walk around the speedway track, and then rode the bus around the track. Following the tour of the speedway, the students visited Patrick Henry Community College's 3D Fab Lab where they learned how different 3D printers worked, including one that can "print" engine parts for the motor sports industry. At the Martinsville Farmer's Market students learned the importance of purchasing local foods in order to reduce emissions from foods that are shipped into the region. Finally, the students visited the Woods Brothers Racing Museum in Stuart where they were able to observe the changes in technology of Woods Brothers racing cars throughout the years.
Wednesday students attended the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, where they participated in a number of activities including riding an electric bicycle, building a car that runs on hydro-fuel, and extracting DNA from a strawberry.
Thursday, students visited the Transportation Museum in Roanoke where they were able to explore the exhibits on automobiles, planes, trains, and ships. They also watched a railway safety film in a theater inside a railway car.
Friday, the students enjoyed a day at Fairy Stone State Park where they took a nature hike and participated in a scavenger hunt to discover how nature moves from place to place. They created boats out of natural materials and competed to see who had the fastest boat and which boats could carry the largest load of pebbles.
The 34 students participating in the camp were given a journal to record their reflections of each day's activities.
