Science castaways

School’s out, the sun is high, and you are ready to board a ship and begin your summer vacation! However, an unexpected event overturns your summer plans, and leaves you castaway on a deserted island.

How will you survive in the new, inhospitable conditions? Is there anything to eat and drink? Will help arrive or will you be forced to plan and execute your escape from this inhospitable island?

The Eugenides Foundation invites you to the new, two-day science summer camp, where children assume the role of castaways and are called to survive and escape from their island. Through original, creative, and entertaining Science & Technology activities, children search for information, discover biological and chemical ways of cleaning and purifying water, learn about celestial navigation, decipher hidden messages, plan and execute their escape plan, involving designing and building a raft, and record their adventures in a stop-motion animation and podcast!

On the last day, during the closing ceremony, children will present their achievements to their parents and friends.

The camp dates are:

16-17 June, 20-21 June, 23-24 June, 27-28 June, 30 June-01 July, 04-05 July, 07-08 July, 11-12 July, 14-15 July, 18-19 July

The cost per child is 36 € and includes all activities and the required materials. Maximum number of participants is 20 children. Strict order of priority will be observed.

Reservation is required at 210 9469641, Monday to Friday, 9:30-16:30, as well as completing the application form/formal declaration [link] and sending it to logistics@eef.edu.gr.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Parents are kindly requested to take care of their children’s snack and meal, both of which will be consumed during the breaks. Finally, we recommend a jacket for the Planetarium shows due to low temperature (21 °C for technical reasons), as well as a hat for the outdoor activities.

Daily Schedule

Day 1

8:45 - 9:00 Arrival of children

9:00 - 9:30 The adventure begins! To know us better.
Children get to know each other and form groups. They discover the unique conditions of their island and assume their roles.

9:30 – 11:00 LIBRARY: Knowledge and imagination to the rescue!
Children, divided into groups, read excerpts from the adventures of famous castaways that spark their imagination. Then, they learn about the basic principles of information selection and evaluation. Then children asked to distinguish between reliable and unreliable information originating in different sources in order to find answersthat will help them survive and escape the island.

11:00 – 11:30 Break

11:30 – 13:00 UTECH LAB: Castaway in an unknown island: Stop motion Animation
Children are introduced to the technical aspects of animation. They learn the basic techniques and are invited to create their own Stop Motion short movie.
With the use of 3D printed objects and green screen they make their own version of how they found themselves on the island.

13:00 – 13:30 Lunch Break *
* including outdoor activities which will be performed if the weather conditions are suitable

13:30 – 15:30 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE: I am thirsty! Now what?
Children perform water purification experiments using physical, biological and chemical processes. Children make their own active carbon filters; they clean water using gauzes and finally use chemicals to turn dirty water to drinking water.

15:30 – 16:15 PLANETARIUM: The Environment and Me
Children attend a planetarium show concerning the environment and the impact of human activities on the planet’s climate, biodiversity, and ecosystems.

16:15 Departure 

Day 2

8:45 - 9:00 Arrival of children

9:00 – 9:45 PLANETARIUM: Celestial Navigation: Find your way by looking at the stars.
Children become familiar with the circumpolar constellations of the Northern hemisphere and learn how to use them to find their orientation and navigate. They construct and learn how to use a map of the sky, to identify the constellations that are visible at different times of the year. Finally, they use their maps to identify different constellations appearing on the Planetarium’s dome.

9:45 – 11:00 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE: Seeking hidden “treasures”
Children visit the interactive science & technology exhibits, where they try to discover hints and tips that will help them design and build a raft that will help them leave the island.

11:00 – 11:30 Break

11:30 – 13:30 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE: Escape the island. Build your own raft.
Children perform experiments that will help them discover the scientific principles underlying floating and sinking. They use their findings in order to design and construct a raft that meets specific criteria. They finally test their raft’s buoyancy, stability and ability to carry heavy load by placing it in a large water tank. 

13:30 – 14:00 Lunch Break

14:00 – 15:30 UTECH LAB: How we survived: Castaway interview Podcast
Children learn how to make a podcast, an online recorded program. One or more members of each team are giving an interview about their shipwreck and the methods they used to survive in the island. Through this process they learn modern recording techniques, online interviewing, and the interview structure.

15:30 – 16:00 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE: Escape from the island (preparations for the Closing Ceremony)
Children prepare for their escape from the island.
16:00 – 16:30 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE – UTECH LAB: Safe and Alive) Closing Ceremony.Children describe their whole experience and explain how they succeeded in surviving and escaping the deserted island.

16:30 Departure