Shipwreck Camp lets teens explore Lake Erie wrecks | Growing STEM

Shipwreck Camp is a unique opportunity exploring the stories of unfortunate events, learning about the lake and having fun while doing it all.

"How many kids get to a camp where you actually get to go down to see a shipwreck? I don't know too many other camps like this," said Kathryn Kwiatkowski, a Director at The Leonard Gelfand STEM Center, on the campus of Case Western Reserve University.

A group of 12- to 16-year-olds are constructing a remotely operated vehicle, or an ROV, wiring controls that will take an underwater camera to a shipwreck.

"Technology and engineering pieces are important elements of exploration, so when we go to the lake and they drop in the ROV, hopefully they'll be learning more than just a cool tool to use," said Kwiatkowski.

The Leonard Gelfand STEM Center at CASE Western Reserve University has offered Shipwreck Camp for years. The camp is inspired by oceanographer Robert Ballard, who discovered the wreck of the Titanic.