Summer Diatom Camp for High School Students

The Summer Diatom Camp immerses high school students in the world of diatoms through collection of specimens from a variety of habitats, sample processing in the lab, microscopic observation of live and cleaned specimens, and lecture presentations on diatom ecology and morphological features of diatom genera. This intensive, five-day camp intersperses academic activities with fun and interactive exercises, such as pontoon and canoe rides and diatom art. The camp ends with student group presentations to an audience of family and friends about their group research projects and camp experiences. In 2012, the Summer Diatom Camp was offered for the first time at Lakeside Laboratory. Graduate students Sylvia Lee (Florida International University) and Victoria Chraibi (University of Minnesota; currently, University of Nebraska-Lincoln) developed the curriculum and instruction material for the camp. This year, Sylvia will return to instruct the camp in 2013 with co-instructor, Kerry Howard (University of Nevada-Reno). Instructors are alumnae of the graduate level diatom course (Ecology and Systematics of Diatoms) offered at Lakeside every year.