Texas A&M at Galveston -- Sea Camp

[PrincessKsMom]

Does anyone have any experience with this camp? Is it worth the money? Do you actually learn or is it all fluff? Anyone in the area hear anything on this camp? Any issues, etc? Thanks!

 

[Colleen27]

Don't know anything about it, but now that I've heard of it from you I'd love to hear more. That's one of my middle schooler's "dream" colleges because she wants to go into marine biology, and if they run a good summer camp I would totally send her so she could get a taste of it to see what she'd really be getting into.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Colleen my DD(17) is going to be a high school senior this year and also thinks she wants to go into Marine Bio. I'm just trying to get some info but it's last minute. Not sure if I can even afford it but if this is going to give her an idea of that path it might be worth it. If it's just a fluff camp, not going to spend the money. And I'd have to fly her from New Jersey too. Don't even know if she'll get on a plane by herself and then I'd have to taxi her from the airport to the school. Uggggh. LOL

 

[Colleen27]

Colleen my DD(17) is going to be a high school senior this year and also thinks she wants to go into Marine Bio. I'm just trying to get some info but it's last minute. Not sure if I can even afford it but if this is going to give her an idea of that path it might be worth it. If it's just a fluff camp, not going to spend the money. And I'd have to fly her from New Jersey too. Don't even know if she'll get on a plane by herself and then I'd have to taxi her from the airport to the school. Uggggh. LOL

Checking out the web site, it does look like a neat program. I'd love to hear some parent reviews! It is too late for this summer for us, but I'd certainly consider registering her for next summer as a Christmas gift. We even have family in Houston so if I put her on a plane here in Detroit I'm sure we could have someone familiar waiting for her in Houston to drive her the rest of the way, and she's a seasoned enough traveler that I think she'd be fine flying without me now. Though I'd be tempted to drive her down and spend a week lounging on the beach and visiting family while she was at her camp.

As far as your daughter handling the flying and the taxi and all of that... When I was 16 years old I was the state-level winner of an essay competition sponsored by a Washington DC non-profit/think-tank. At that point in my life I'd flown only once, as a toddler, never really taken public transportation at all except suburban buses with my non-driving grandmother, and never traveled without my mom except to Girl Scout and YMCA camps. But the prize for the contest included a week in DC for the selection of the national winner and the trip featured some once-in-a-lifetime type experiences. I was terrified getting on that plane by myself and totally convinced I'd somehow get lost taking a cab from Washington National airport to the host hotel, but I swallowed hard, pretended I knew what I was doing, and had the time of my life. Sea Camp might be that sort of experience for your DD if that's the career that calls to her.

 

[stsomewhere]

My son just went to a psychology camp at Lawrence Tech University. He loved it and can't wait to go back next year for a different program.

He will be a sophomore in the fall.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

As a Texas A&M grad (College Station, not Galveston), I can tell you that TAMUG takes their marine biology department VERY seriously. I would personally be very shocked if it was a fluff camp with no real substance. I'm betting that the kids come away having learned a lot as this is a big way for TAMUG to sell their school and program to students considering marine biology for a career.

 

[wickey's friend]

Hi! I may be a bit biased, lol, but I am pretty sure it is NOT a fluff camp. I'm sure you've been to the web site, but did you see their Facebook page?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sea-Camp-Texas-AM-University-at-Galveston/120502624680252

Looks like a lot of hand-on action.

I've emailed a friend who works there to get more info - will let you know.

Hi, JennaDeeDooDah! Gig 'Em class of '83 here!

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Hey Wickey! Glad you stopped by!!! Thanks for reaching out to your friend. I really appreciate it

 

[wickey's friend]

Hey, PK'sMom - no prob for one of my ignorami friends!!!

I told my friend who works at TAMUG what I told you, and this was her reply:

You hit all the main points. They gear the lessons to the age group, so she would be learning stuff that is appropriate for a 17 year old. She’ll also get to go out on our boats/research vessels. It’s a good program especially for someone who is interested in doing Marine Biology as a major.


So . . . get PK to Galveston! I wish I lived closer, I'd take her there myself!

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Thanks Wickey! I mentioned it to PK and she doesn't seem too keen on the idea of flying to Texas on her own. She's only flown a few times and never alone. I don't know what I'm going to do. She loved the idea of spending a week at Sea Camp, just not having to go alone. And I really don't think my husband would go for it. And truth be told, I'd be terrified. LOL. Definitely still on the table though.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

Hi! I may be a bit biased, lol, but I am pretty sure it is NOT a fluff camp. I'm sure you've been to the web site, but did you see their Facebook page?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sea-Camp-Texas-AM-University-at-Galveston/120502624680252

Looks like a lot of hand-on action.

I've emailed a friend who works there to get more info - will let you know.

Hi, JennaDeeDooDah! Gig 'Em class of '83 here!

Howdy! Class of '06 here.

Thanks Wickey! I mentioned it to PK and she doesn't seem too keen on the idea of flying to Texas on her own. She's only flown a few times and never alone. I don't know what I'm going to do. She loved the idea of spending a week at Sea Camp, just not having to go alone. And I really don't think my husband would go for it. And truth be told, I'd be terrified. LOL. Definitely still on the table though.

Well if your husband does end up going for it, there is a lot you could do in the area while she was at camp. Besides hanging out at the beach, you could visit Moody Gardens, Schlitterbahn, Moody Gardens, and Kemah boardwalk.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Thanks for the info Jenna!

 

[Gina]

My son (rising Senior now) did the TAG Marine Engineering session at Sea Camp last summer, and it was worth every.single.penny. He knew he wants to be an engineer for a while now, had begun to look into marine engineering (ocean freaks that we are anyway), and was curious what TAMUG was like since we come from a long line of Aggies. He didn't really want to go to College Station though, just too dang big. Since TAMUG is an actual branch campus of TAMU, they receive the best of both worlds -- small campus on an island off of an island, but the almighty networking power of that Aggie ring.

Sea Camp not only cemented his desire to go into marine engineering, but his beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt certainty that TAMUG is a perfect fit for him. He applies Aug. 1st and is an auto-admit, so TAMUG is where he'll be next Fall. We have made quite a number of trips there since then, and I want to be there too!! I keep threatening him that I'm going to apply to be an RA in his dorm.

As far as Sea Camp goes, it was so *not* fluff... not at all. Granted, this was a TAG session, but it didn't sound to me like any of the sessions were fluffed out. In his session they toured all the science labs and the ship simulator, teamed up and spent the whole week building and testing an underwater ROV, learned real fundamentals of engineering. He said it was the best week of his life. And he loved getting to stay in the dorm -- he's even more excited for college now.

I do know that kids flew in from all over the place -- DS made friends from all over the country. Granted, it's like a 30 minute drive for us, so i can't comment on the flying alone thing... but if you come with her and spend a week in Galveston -- which you would LOVE -- we could have a mini-DIS-meet.

DS is off work today so is still asleep at home, but I texted him and asked me to call me whenever he gets up so I can get his thoughts in his own words. Will update this later.


-gina-

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Great news Gina! Sounds fantastic. DD has been very sheltered and I really don't know that I could convince her to go alone. Don't really have the money to go with her so I it's really not an option for me to go. I'm going to reach out to them and see if they have the option of picking kids up at the airport, etc. From what I can tell it's about 70 miles from the airport to the campus and I can't imagine how much a taxi would cost and she'd be alone. At least if the school offers a pick up/drop off she'd be with others. I really want this for her but I just don't know that she'll do it, although she was so excited!

Please do let me know what else you find out. They said they have an opening in the Marine Bio group and the Sea Turtle group, but of which she's very interested in.

 

[Tralliam]

I can't say enough good things about this camp. My son has wanted to be a marine biologist since he was 2. He went to their day camp when he was 9 ( have to be 10 for residential) and this year he went for a week and loved every second.

It is very hands on. I got to see some of the pictures from the older groups and they absolutely gear the lessons for the age group. They go out on the research vessel, spend a lot of time in the marshes doing actual investigative science. But it is also a great summer camp with many fun activities, water balloon fights, movie nights, fishing, and a beach party on the Strand.

 

[Gina]

I was looking through my email because I never throw anything out and there was a whole bunch of info in the registration packet they sent last year. I found the email, but it says it can't fetch the attachment.

But I know I remember a whole paragraph about those who were flying in, and that someone would meet them at the airport. I'm almost positive. I would call them and ask. And if nothing else, if she flew in on a weekend and into Hobby, I'd be more than happy to pick her up and take her to Sea Camp and get her back to the airport a week later.

Still no word from Rip Van Winkle at home... LOL.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

I've spoken to Texas A&M on their FB page and they have indicated they have transportation available for a fee, to/from the airport. That's great news.

I also had a friend reach out and tell me about a Sea World camp which sounds great as well, since that's what my DD really wants to do, i.e., working with dolphins, stingrays, etc. Never knew these were options or even existed until a DISer suggested I look into it for her.

So much research to do! Thank you all and feel free to post any additional info you might get!

 

[Colleen27]

I am loving all the info and reviews! I showed DH the website last night and we're pretty much settled on registering DD12 for a session next summer. She's wanted to work with animals all her life and started talking about marine biology specifically when she was 7, so this sounds like a great way to let her explore that interest in a real-world setting.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

I was looking through my email because I never throw anything out and there was a whole bunch of info in the registration packet they sent last year. I found the email, but it says it can't fetch the attachment.

But I know I remember a whole paragraph about those who were flying in, and that someone would meet them at the airport. I'm almost positive. I would call them and ask. And if nothing else, if she flew in on a weekend and into Hobby, I'd be more than happy to pick her up and take her to Sea Camp and get her back to the airport a week later.

Still no word from Rip Van Winkle at home... LOL.

Gina our posts must have crossed. Thank you so much for the offer of transporting her. That's so sweet of you! Now that I know they can provide transportation it's just a matter of getting her to agree to fly alone. Then we'll work on my DH.

Colleen, so glad you're getting some useful information for your daughter as well. If I can get PK to go, I'll be sure to come back and give a review.

 

[Tralliam]

If she goes, one thing to remember, this is Texas. It's hot, really hot. And the sun is much more intense on the coast than anywhere else i've been. Lots of water, sunscreen and bug spray. My son wasn't drinking as much water as he should and lost his voice 3 days in.