Cache Quest: 2025 High School STEAM Camp
By Miles Young, BB2C Data Science Intern
At the heart of this year’s High School STEAM Camp, creativity, exploration, and innovation were included in every activity. Campers took on the exciting challenge of designing geocaches. It was part scavenger hunt, part engineering puzzle. Using GPS coordinates and clever clues, these hidden treasures ranged from complicated multi-step puzzles to small boxes camouflaged into their environments. One team even created a Pokémon-themed lockbox that will be a lot of fun for local Geocachers to find!
The fun kicked off on day 1; after a long day of brainstorming, campers were rewarded with a relaxing trip to Veto Lake. They enjoyed a picnic, a kayaking adventure with Wild River Kayaking, and a great ice-breaking experience. By day 2, teams were hard at work bringing their geocache visions to life. The BB2C Makerspace buzzed with energy as campers 3D printed components in the Tech Space, laser printed tokens in the Laser Space, and painted unique designs in the Creative Arts Space to help their caches blend into nature or stand out in imaginative ways.
Midweek brought a visit to Marietta College’s geology department, where Dr. Tej Gautam engaged campers through high-tech demonstrations, including an Infrared Thermal Imager and water-quality sensors. Campers even learned about how minerals show up in everyday household products. Later that day, the learning continued with a guided tour of The Anchorage in Harmar Village. This experience exposed the campers to local history and the importance of retelling stories that have shaped our communities.
After a hot day, campers gathered for a movie and game night in air conditioning. This gave them a chance to unwind, bond, and share laughs over snacks and friendly competition.
The camp wrapped up on a high note, with each group proudly presenting their final geocache creations at Appalachian Ohio Manufacturers Coalition (AOMC). It was a chance to showcase their hard work and creativity to peers, family members, and AOMC employees—ending the week with well-earned recognition of their innovations and a sense of accomplishment.
The Appalachian Regional Commission funded BB2C STEAM Camps through the Ohio Governor’s Office of Appalachia. To connect with us about this and other STEAM opportunities for students, email makerspace@bb2careers.org.