It was time for hands-on learning at the Tamaqua Community Arts Center last Friday.

Many area elementary school students packed the arts center for its first-ever STEAM camp. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.

“I thought, what a better way to spend the summer than to get some of my colleagues together and do a STEAM camp for kids,” said Dr. Joanne Calabrese, who turned her idea into a successful program through a team effort. “We had a full class today. We were targeting 20 and we actually had 22 registered.”

Students at the camp were generally between the ages of 9-12. The morning was broken down into three interesting and educational sessions.

“The first segment was mostly science based,” Calabrese said. “Now they’re doing a succulent garden and learning about plants and how to keep them thriving. They’re also making an artistic creation that they can bring home. Our last segment is edible art with Vanessa (Boyle), who is always fun and entertaining.”

Cathy Seachrist, of Super Science and Amazing Art, got the day started with a science-based session. They talked about air and how it takes up space. One lucky student even got to ride a hovercraft. The second session was instructed by Janet Dean. She taught the group all about plant life and how they survive. The kids each constructed their own miniature garden and got to take them home.

“It’s been fun so far. The kids really enjoy it,” Calabrese said. “There’s been a lot of learning. We need more kids to go into health care and science, so it would be awesome if we can inspire them when they’re young to continue on.”

The final session of the afternoon was edible art with Vanessa Boyle, who is a second-grade teacher at West Penn Elementary School.

“A couple of years ago I started with Pampered Chef and I’ve been doing different kid activities around the community,” Boyle said. “The kids are going to be making sand cups made of graham crackers and homemade pudding. We’re also going to talk about solids and liquids, and how that combines with our food. We’re also going to be talking about carbonation and air bubbles. The kids are going to get to make root beer floats, and we’ll talk about the matter that factors as far as solids, liquids and gases go and, of course, they’re going to get to enjoy it.”

The arts center will be hosting another STEAM Camp for ages 6 and over at 6 p.m. on July 25. The camp will be free to register.

“You can come explore science and art with me, at super science and amazing art,” Seachrist said. “We like to blend science and art. Things like how powerful air is, maybe make things explode, so come out and see us and have some fun with science.”