Our brand-new Counselor-in-Training (CIT) program is launching during this year’s Winter Camp and is the perfect solution for middle and early high schoolers, ages 12-15 years old. This program is designed for young people who want to gain hands-on experience, grow their professional skills, and build their resumes. What better place to do so than at Frost Science? CITs can choose between two tracks based on their interests: science education or environmental action.
What does a CIT do?
The CIT program will run concurrently with Frost Science’s camp sessions. CITs will come to the museum between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. each day of their session. During this time, CITs will develop their own project about something related to their chosen track that they are passionate about, under the guidance of an experienced mentor. In addition, all CITs will take an active role in Frost Science camps, assisting camp educators in the classroom to inspire young campers’ curiosity about science. For their participation, CITs will receive a recommendation letter and community service hours.
What experience do CITs in the Science Education track develop?
CITs in the week-long Science Education track will work to create an educational resource like authoring a short children’s science book or designing a game for campers to play. For example, they could write a comic following a blood cell’s journey through the heart or develop an educational game that explains how robots “understand” code. During the development stage of the project, CITs will participate in short workshops on how to write a story and what entails game or activity design. Then, they will practice giving and receiving feedback on their work before engaging Frost Science campers with their final product.
What experience do CITs in the Environmental Action track develop?
CITs in the two-week Environmental Action track will create and initiate an action-based project that addresses an environmental issue. With the help of their mentor, they will meet with environmental experts and identify a problem. Then they will develop a solution to their chosen problem with a group of peer CITs. To finish the program, CITs will demonstrate their public speaking skills by pitching their proposed solution to museum leadership and relevant stakeholders.
Where can I register?
Registration can be found here on our website.
What is included in registration?
CITs will receive direct mentorship under an experienced Frost Science staff member throughout the duration of their program. Each CIT will also receive daily lunch, two snacks, two camp t-shirts, and aftercare included from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. At the end of their program, a recommendation letter, including documented community service hours, will be provided to each CIT to recognize their hard work.
How much is the program?
Winter Camp CITs in the Science Education track will attend programming for one week. The weekly fee for Science Education CITs attending during winter camp is $429 per week.
Winter camp CITs in the Environmental Action track will attend programming for two weeks. The fee for Environmental Action CITs attending during winter camp is $799 for the two-week program (please note, the CIT program will not be hosted from December 30, 2023 – January 1, 2024, due to the holiday).
Why is there a cost for this program?
While we recognize the hard work that CITs provide, the program requires supervision, mentorship, and guidance to create meaningful museum-based STEM experiences for both the CITs and the campers. CITs are young but are not old enough to supervise campers on their own. They will find themselves “too old” to participate in regular camp activities, and thus we have designed this program for them to find fulfillment and gain valuable experience through the projects and additional responsibilities assigned to them.