This week has literally been a blast for a group of Lehighton Area School District elementary students.

The district is hosting the second of its three Science Technology Engineering and Math camps, presented by Penn State Hazleton, this summer.

Titled “Super Cool Experiments,” the camp dives into kitchen chemistry and has yielded explosive reviews.

“We look at a lot of different chemical reactions with the students,” said Michele Bittner, PSU instructor. “It allows students to see they can use household chemicals and materials, even things like flour, to create science at home.”

Lehighton has aimed to be ahead of the curve in its STEM curriculum. The camps, District STEM Coordinator Melissa Volcskai said, are an extension of what happens inside the classroom during the school year.

“One of the goals is to make sure students aren’t falling off over the summer,” Volcskai said. “These added experiences allow them to get a taste for different experiments they might see during the school year. With the integration of our FOSS science program, which is very hands-on, they’re going to be doing a lot of the same things they’re doing here this week.”

One of the popular experiments on Thursday morning was the creation of elephant toothpaste, a foamy substance caused by the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.

Bittner said while the draw of the experiment is that it can be colorful and fun, students are learning about temperature change and the subsequent chemical reactions.

The group also captured gases inside a bottle with its lid on and then watched from a distance as it exploded into a foamy mess.

“I get scared of balloon pops and this was way bigger, but it was super cool,” Lehighton elementary student Sadie Monk said.

Monk said her favorite parts of the week have included making slime and getting messy.

“I like the chemical reactions and seeing how they form,” Monk added.

Bittner has been instructing at the camps for a number of years and has seen the demographics go from a mostly male-dominated roster to more of an even split.

“More and more girls are getting involved,” she said. “They are really interested in STEM and I think that’s a great trend that we hope continues into the future.”

Lehighton’s STEM camps have gained in popularity so much that the district expanded from two offerings last year to three in 2018.

Around 25 students attend the camps. While the normal camp cost is $170 per student, Lehighton students pay just $40 each.

“We’re very fortunate in that the Lehighton Education and Athletic Foundation pays $40 per student, and the district, along with the National Education Foundation, makes up the difference,” said Tim Tkach of LEAF.

One more camp is coming up in August.

“That one deals with alternative energy,” Volcskai said. “We’re moving more and more toward using alternative resources as a country, and this gives students exposure to those topics that they will be discussing in science class.”